


I Get To Love You

by LexaSofia



Series: I get to Love you [2]
Category: The 100 (TV), clexa - Fandom
Genre: Action & Romance, Agent Anya, Agent Echo, Alternate Universe - Police, Clexa, Cliffhangers, Drama, FBI, Multi, Reporter Clarke, Smut, Suspense, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:01:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 187,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22621429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LexaSofia/pseuds/LexaSofia
Summary: The tragic events that took place three months ago left marks on everyone involved and things are very different.As the Intelligence Kru is adapting to this new life, Clarke is adjusting to the changes in her routine and in her life.How much did that night marked everyone? What to expect of the future? How much has change?With a new case brewing in the horizon the Intelligence Kru faces a new mystery to uncover and Clarke and Octavia have to face a story of their recent past.
Relationships: Bellamy Blake/Echo, Clarke Griffin & Lexa, Clarke Griffin/Lexa, Luna/Raven Reyes, Octavia Blake/Lincoln, Other couples - Relationship
Series: I get to Love you [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1139474
Comments: 245
Kudos: 238





	1. Trial sessions, courthouses and explosions

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!  
> Welcome back to this story.  
> Let me start by saying that I want to thank you all for showing me your affection to this story with your comments, hits and kudos.  
> I have a plan for this second but but I don't know yet the length of it, however, I think it won't be as long as the first one.  
> Now we're going to pick up right where we left in the ending chapter of the first part of this fic. We'll also travelling back in time in some chapters but I'll always point that out in the chapters.  
> As usual hit me with your comments and kudos and hits and I hope you enjoy this first chapter! :)

**Chapter 1 – Trial sessions, courthouses and explosions**

_“Clarke, are you ready?”_

Octavia asks from the living room and Clarke adjusts the blazer on her body with a sigh. She’s anything but ready but she steps out of the room to see Octavia and Luna waiting for her patiently. The blonde nods at Octavia who grabs both of their backpacks and starts to walk in the direction of the door.

_“Luna, do you think that she would…?”_

_“You know she would come, she might have never said it but she lov…”_

_“I don’t want to hear it.”_

Clarke says harshly regretting her question in the first place and Luna nods apologetically, as Clarke looks around and narrows her eyes.

_“Where is Ray?”_

The blonde asks and Luna smiles understanding Clarke’s need to change the subject.

_“She’s already there Clarke, remember what we talked about, we have everything ready to ensure your safety.”_

Clarke nods with a small “thank you”, and silently the two women follow Octavia. Clarke closes the door of her apartment and forces herself not to cry, she’s nervous about going to court and if that wasn’t enough, there's also the threats that loom over her head. If only Lexa was there Clarke knows she would feel a lot safer.

As Luna drives the car, Clarke looks around the city deep in thought, oblivious to the looks Luna sends her way through the rearview mirror and the glances that the curly-haired detective shares with Octavia. Clarke's phone starts ringing startling the blonde and she fumbles with her bag to retrieve it. For a moment a hopeful smile graces her features but when she sees it's her mother’s name on the screen she deflates slightly.

_“Hey mom, how are you?”_

The blonde says aiming to sound calm but her mother sighs, Clarke’s voice sounds worried and somewhat sad.

_“Honey, I'm leaving the hospital now and I'll be at the court in time.”_

The older Griffin says and Clarke sighs, her mother's presence will at least calm her down a little. But after a night shift, she knows her mother must be tired.

_“Mom you don't have to go. I'm just going to testify.”_

_“Honey, I'm going and it’s not up for discussion. I'll see you there.”_

_“Thanks, mom.”_

The blonde reporter says and ends the call; she can't explain why she feels so nervous about the whole ordeal. All she has to do is testify in court about the investigation she ran with Octavia months ago. It's not that big of a deal, but with the threats that she knows the judge had received about the case and the entire media circus that's going on, she can't really feel calm. It has been three months since Lexa was shot and even the smaller things leave such an impact on her that Clarke can't help but feel like everything could get worse at any moment.

**

_“Your Honor with all due respect, I really think we should postpone this hearing.”_

_“Counselor, I am well aware of the threats being made over this subject, but I won't subject this court to this show of fear, I already have to negotiate deals with criminals whenever the counselors deemed right because the law demands it. I'm not going to delay this hearing anymore. Besides it is my understanding that the defense attorney and your fellow prosecutor think there is no reason to delay this.”_

Judge Pike, a bald black man known for his strict conduct says and Gaia sighs; granted she knew this could happen, however after hearing her mother's arguments she needed to try. Not because Indra is her mother but because Chief Indra is known to have valid points. Gaia looks over to Ontari and the woman takes a step further.

_“I agree with Judge Pike, I know I'm only here as the second chair but I'm assured that the prosecution is ready for this court’s session your honor.”_

Ontari says and Gaia looks at her in defeat. Ontari and Gaia have been working together for the Prosecution for some years now, Ontari, a tall and slender brunette of beautiful features but piercing cold brown eyes, has been a fearless attorney in her department. Usually, she takes the lead on her own cases, but in this particular one she is the second chair, which means that she is on the case to offer support to Gaia.

Gaia, Indra’s daughter soon understood that her mother's name is well known and respected in the Prosecution Department. But the young black woman with hazel eyes made sure to make a name for herself too. However, due to the complexity of this particular case, she agreed with the Attorney General when he told her that he would call someone to be her second chair. Ontari easily volunteered herself and so they teamed up for the case.

After a long silence, Judge Pike dismisses the meeting in order to get ready for the court session. Gaia and Ontari leave the judge’s private office and Gaia looks at Ontari.

_“You could've have backed me up in there.”_

_“We're more than ready to move on with this. We have important witnesses to call to the stand today. This is a big case Gaia, what image we will show if we allow threats to command our actions? This case is very important for us and you are the image of it, you'll gonna do great despite the threats and what your mother told you.”_

Gaia looks at Ontari again, her voice is always somewhat cold and Gaia has never known Ontari to be friendly with anyone, but the condescending tone in the final part of Ontari’s sentence makes Gaia bite back.

_“This hasn’t got anything to do with my mother. She came to us as Chief Indra, and her opinion is valuable in that context.”_

Gaia says and Ontari smirks at her as they walk inside one of the court’s offices, Gaia wants to go over the schedule once again to make sure her plan for the hearings is solid.

_“I’m not saying that her opinion isn't valuable. But we're in a courthouse. What can happen to us here?”_

Ontari asks, smirk still firmly in place and Gaia resists the urge to groan as she places her messenger bag on the table and opens it to pull her fancy leather notebook out. She looks at it for a second. The leather case with a notebook inside and several compartments to put a pen, other notes, and papers is perfect for her job and it was made just for her with her name engraved in small golden letters on the front. Strangely enough, it wasn't a gift from her father but from Indra instead.

_“Okay so we'll call Clarke Griffin on the stand first and then Octavia Blake sounds good to you?”_

Gaia asks pushing any thoughts about her mother to the back of her mind and Ontari looks at her as she places her own leather case on the table and takes a chair.

_“I think it's the best approach to this, now shall we go over your questions to both of them?”_

Ontari asks as she pulls a pen out and starts to write some notes and Gaia nods as she does the same. With the session scheduled to start in half an hour or so time will go by fast for sure.

**

Raven smiles as she spots Aden coming in her direction with two coffees in his hands, the officer in blue stops at her side and gives Raven one of the coffees.

_“Thank you, Aden.”_

Raven says grabbing the paper cup and looking down at its contents.

_“It has cream and sugar just like you like it.”_

Raven looks at him with a puzzled expression, eyeing Aden from head to toe in his blue uniform as Aden shifts from one foot to the other under Raven’s inquisitive stare. The officer blushes slightly and looks at his feet.

_“Uh, I know because she told me, you know ….”_

_“You don't even need to say more, I get it.”_

Raven speaks and cuts Aden off and he looks at her, he hasn’t known Raven for long but by the way the Latina closes off and her tone is harsh is enough for Aden to know it will be better if he remains silent.

_“Don't talk about her around Clarke. She… Clarke is still heartbroken.”_

Raven adds in a softer tone realizing that she was harsher than intended and Aden nods. They stay silent for some time sipping their coffees and Aden looks at Raven again.

_“Are you nervous about this trial session?”_

The officer asks and Raven shrugs and looks around. They are outside of the courthouse, near the entrance and she can already see the reporters gathering around to have a glimpse of the accused and in hopes of speaking to the defense attorney or the prosecution. The day is bright and the sun is cozy and warm and it feels nice to be outside.

_“Not really.”_

Raven replies and Aden looks at her with a dubious expression visible on his features.

_“I mean I'm not nervous for me, I never expected to be working with the police department but I've been on call before. And I know this time is different but I'm sure that if any of those threats are true and something happen we have all the scenarios prepared beforehand.”_

Raven explains and Aden nods. It has been three months since the shooting and although it hasn't been easy, Raven has been adjusting to this new reality. Adjusting to the fact that Clarke is heartbroken, adjusting to the fact that Lexa isn't around and adjusting to her new job.

The last three months brought many changes into Raven’s life, the rejection of the internship Sinclair got for her was only one the changes. It turned out that the experience period would be three months but the full internship would last a year without payment. Raven wasn’t keen on the idea especially because she had already resigned from the car shop she had worked in for the last couple of years, she had savings but she knew it wouldn’t last long if she wasn’t making money monthly.

It was at the beginning of the year when Raven had her meeting with the start-up company to be briefed on what the proposal and work entailed, and she decided to reject it. The New Year’s Eve was spent with no parties and still in shock over what happened to Lexa and upon rejecting the offer Sinclair got for her Raven was starting to think that the New Year was starting on the wrong foot.

But then Luna and Indra offered her a second plan, Raven would be working with Monty and she would be his supervisor while Monty took some classes to finish his degrees, and at the same time she would team up with the bomb squad as an engineer counselor. Unexpectedly, even to Raven and her friends she said yes and after a little more than two months in the job she was utterly content with the turn in her life.

With her skills and her easy-going personality she fitted perfectly in the job and with her colleagues. Working with Monty while the man was taking night school classes as Indra deemed that he needed to do, and working with the bomb squad brought a new sense to Raven, she felt that she had a purpose. Raven also had a better idea of Luna’s work, and she knows how her girlfriend had an important role in all these changes, although Luna is not the only person who made it possible. But the Latina doesn't want to dwell much on it for now.

Luna and Raven are still going strong, despite everything that happened, after the shooting Raven decided to go back to her place. But the two women have been staying at both their places and Raven is more than ready to take the next step and move in with Luna for good. The Latina has been thinking about it for some time now, she knows Luna’s place is the best choice, it's her own house and it's bigger than Raven’s small and rented apartment. However Raven hasn't yet been able to bring the subject up, it's not that she fears that Luna is going to reject her proposal but with everything that has been going on she had been waiting for the right moment to ask Luna about it.

A notification sound takes Raven away from her musings and she checks her phone and looks at Aden who is looking around with keen eyes.

_“Luna is almost here with Clarke and Octavia. I'll go and check on Monty to see if everything is in order.”_

_“Okay, I will let the others know to secure the perimeter.”_

Aden replies with a smile and both of them part ways as Raven adjusts the bulletproof vest she had to wear. The thing is still weird for her but is part of the protocol so she had no other choice but to wear it.

Raven goes to the back of the building and taps on a black parked van and Monty opens the back door for Raven to step in, the Latina climbs inside and narrows her eyes.

_“I thought you would be at the station…”_

The Latina trails off as she looks between Monty and Roan and the older man shrugs with a soft smile.

_“And miss out on the fun? Not a chance!”_

The man easily replies and Raven tugs at her bulletproof vest.

_“Well since I won't be the first at breaking rules I'll just take this off, it's scratching my neck.”_

_“Oh don't you dare Reyes. I feel like I'm going to be on probation with this one here and I_ can't take _your shit too.”_

Monty says and Raven looks at Roan and the man shakes his head slightly.

_“If you're going to be outside I think you really should keep that on.”_

Roan says and Raven deflates as she sits on one of the chairs and looks around to the inside of the van filled with surveillance equipment.

_“I hate you two right now.”_

The Latina says dramatically tugging at the vest on her neck once more and Roan shakes his head with a playful smile playing in his lips. In these last three months the man's mood has been changing from grumpy to friendly and although Raven expected him to be grumpy today he actually seems at ease against all odds. Roan knows he has been unstable, he can’t shake the guilt over what happened with Lexa, he should have been there for her, he should have been there to back her up and save her, but he arrived too late for any of that and now his team is one member short. Monty and Raven were a nice addition, and Roan enjoys the humor that the Latina brings but sometimes his frustrations get the best of him.

_“Okay, so what's the status?”_

Raven asks noticing how Roan was zoning out and Roan looks over to the four screens as he types a few keywords.

_“Everything looks good so far, but I wouldn't dismiss any chances of this going sideways.”_

The man says seriously and Raven looks at him, personally, she doesn't think anything bad can happen but Roan’s knowledge of this case makes her be cautious about it and she nods.

_“Okay, we'll have a clear line on our intercoms, Luna is arriving with Clarke and Octavia and they are going in through the back door as we planned. The front side is crammed with reporters so I think we will do better if we stick to the plan.”_

Everyone nods and Raven adjusts the bulletproof vest once more before waving to the two men and stepping outside. When she is out of the van she looks down at herself and sighs. Despite still being adapting to the vest she knows it's a needed evil if only Lexa had one…

_“Raven, Luna is here and we're about to go in.”_

Miller says from the intercom and effectively cutting Raven’s musings, she brings up her wrist to her mouth to reply to Nathan and smiles; a part of her is always thrilled about the use of such gadgets.

_“Everything is clear Nathan, you can go in.”_

**

_“And how did you get these papers, Miss Griffin?”_

The defense attorney asks and Gaia stands from her chair and looks at judge Pike with exasperation written all over her face.

_“Objection your honor.”_

Gaia says, she looks at Teb, a tall and elegant man who is known to be a great defense lawyer, the man looks at her challengingly and Gaia resists the urge to groan, defense lawyers can be a pain in the ass.

“On what ground counselor?”

Pike asks and Gaia looks at him and then at the jury standing to her right side.

_“This question was already asked and answered.”_

The prosecution attorney says and Judge Pike looks at Teb, the man just smiles as he moves dramatically in front of Clarke, who is standing at the left side of the judge. The blonde has nailed Gaia’s question with ease, but Teb looks like a dog with a bone.

_“Your honor, if my colleague was so kind as to let me go with my line of thinking I would be able to prove my point. I'm not known to waste time in court.”_

Teb, the defense lawyer says looking from the judge to the jury, he waves his arms around dramatically and Clarke can't help but think that the man's dramatic antics are a part of his character in court. Judge Pike looks sternly at the attorney with a sigh.

_“I will allow it for now but I must advise you to in fact produce something out of this Counselor. Miss Gaia, I'll overrule your objection, Miss Griffin you may answer the question.”_

Pike says looking at Clarke again and the blonde sighs as she looks at the defense lawyer once more.

_“As I said before, we got an anonymous tip and took it to our Chief Editor, and Jaha told us to start our investigation and so we did.”_

_“But what about the documents where did you get those miss Griffin?”_

_“As I told before we got the papers through a source, is my understanding that they are protected by the constitutional law.”_

Clarke says with some defiance and notices when some members of the jury nod at her words. Teb obviously notices this too and takes a measured step forward looking at the jury with a serious expression and then at the judge.

_“Your honor based on the fact that these papers were gotten dubiously I request for them to be dismissed as proof of this trial.”_

Teb says and Clarke looks at him clearly dumbfounded and Gaia stands up with Ontari and they both speak at the same time.

_“Objection your honor.”_

Gaia looks at Ontari who nods and Gaia takes the lead as she walks over her desk to stand a few feet behind Teb but still in line of sight with the judge and the jury.

_“Your Honor, whatever evidence the prosecution entered was previously validated by a formal and rightfully conducted investigation. Miss Griffin’s testimony is only part of the trial, she’s testifying based on what she and her partner got from their sources, and some might not be even here to testify over the fear that the accused might do something to them.”_

_“Your Honor, this is clearly speculation and offensive towards my client, to insinuate that my client would do something against any witness that would come to court is completely outrageous. And I must say that the jury can’t take this into accord, not only these insidious insinuations but also what was said before, it’s obvious that the prosecution is trying to bend the rules and manipulate the jury.”_

Teb’s words come out in a raised tone of voice and Pike looks at him clearly not impressed by it.

_“And how is this bending rules thing working? What do you deem right in this case counselor?”_

Pike asks sternly as Teb looks at his client and then at Gaia and Ontari with a smirk, he looks over to the jury making a point of making eye contact with every member and finally fixates his gaze on Pike again.

_“Your Honor, the defense asks for Miss Griffin’s and her partner’s testimony to be taken out of consideration, if they aren’t going to give us the names of their sources but testify in their name this can be ruled out as hearsay and that will be clearly bending the rules of having a fair trial here.”_

As Teb finishes his words Clarke looks over at Gaia who seems dumbfounded for a moment, she can’t quite shake the feeling that this was the man’s plan all along, to make the jury and judge Pike to dismiss Clarke’s and Octavia’s testimony. Clarke looks over to the people on the room as the commotion starts to be more audible. Judge Pike is still taken aback by the lawyer’s claims; he clears his throat as he eyes the lawyer with some apprehension and measures the chaos he is making in his courtroom.

_“Please be seated and silent or I will have to ask the officers to escort you out.”_

The judge says and Gaia walks over and closer to the jury, Clarke watches amazed at how similar to Indra, Gaia carries herself, it’s also very entertaining to see the liberty of movements lawyers have in courts of law. Maybe the blonde will see The Good Wife and its spin-off after all.

_“Your Honor and members of the jury, these are ridiculous accusations, Miss Griffin is here to testify about the documents and information she got over her investigation, not to speak in the name of her sources.”_

Gaia says with a firm and assured voice and Clarke looks from Gaia to the accused who just smirks as the room erupts in noises of discontentment.

_“Enough!”_

Judge Pike shouts as he bangs his gavel on its base and at the same time a loud sound comes from the outside of the room. Clarke is startled by all the noises, and the big boom coming from the outside just reminds her of shots being fired, she closes her eyes and inhales deeply as her hands start to tremble and she sees Lexa’s body on the ground.

_“Please ladies and gentlemen remain seated and calm, I’ll call for a recess so we can continue later.”_

The judge says as Clarke opens her eyes and forces herself to listen to the man’s voice in order to break out of her almost panic attack. She looks at the room and sees when Luna shares a look with Miller and they turn slightly putting two fingers close to their ears clearly in order to know what their colleagues are doing outside. Then they nod at each other and start to walk in the direction of Gaia and Teb.

Boom!

A loud noise comes from the left side of Miller and when he looks at the source all he sees is smoke coming from one adjacent room he looks around as he hears a click somewhere.

_“Everyone get down on the ground.”_

The detective shouts as another explosion is heard but this time louder and closer. Miller looks over at Luna and then looks around to make sure everyone is safe. Teb is crouched next to the table he was using and someone else is lying on the floor. The thick smoke is spreading over the whole room and Miller looks at Judge Pike with one court officer in a light brown uniform close to him.

_“Get the Judge out of here!”_

He orders the officer as another explosion is heard somewhere and the man nods helping Pike from his crouching position to stand. The few explosions were small but enough to create havoc on the people in the room. Miller looks at Luna to see her approaching him with slow and careful steps.

_“Get Clarke and the others we need to evacuate the room.”_

The detective says and Luna nods as she walks over to Gaia and Ontari and tells them to leave the room. The curly-haired detective looks over at Clarke, the blonde is on the floor shaking and sweating and Luna hunches forward to grab her.

_“You're okay Clarke, everything is okay.”_

_“Lex… Lexa.”_

The blonde shouts between sobs and Luna’s heart squeezes painfully at the blonde's distress, she is clearly re-living the night Lexa was shot. As the detective holds her, Clarke clutches to her as for dear life and Luna looks down at her.

_“Clarke, can you walk with me? We need to get out of here!”_

Luna asks and her soft voice and her strong hold on Clarke's body brings the blonde back to reality. The reporter looks around at the commotion, Miller is helping someone being lifted from the floor and it is clear that the person is injured. Several court guards and officers are helping the civilians in their escape and Clarke looks around with frantic eyes trying to see what’s happening in her surroundings.

_“My mom, she's here.”_

The blonde says and Luna shakes her head, she saw when Abby rushed out helping others to do the same. As the smoke spreads around the fire detectors start ringing in the whole building creating panic in every wing of the courthouse.

_“She's already outside helping those in need.”_

The curly-haired detective says and Clarke nods as they slowly but steadily walk out of the courtroom and out of the building.

**

As the building is being evacuated Raven looks around trying to make sense of what’s happening and sees Aden running towards her.

_“Raven we need to go in, they found another device placed in judge’s Pike chambers.”_

The Latina looks around once more then grabs her equipment and her protection helmet. She was surprised when she was told about the small explosions and immediately rushed over to the building’s entrance to get a better idea of what was going on. She is about to go in when Roan catches them gasping slightly.

_“What the fuck do you think you're doing Reyes?”_

The man asks looking from Raven to Aden and the Latina looks at him as she keeps walking towards the building’s entrances.

_“They found another device, my team is already there but I need to go in.”_

At the woman's assertive tone Roan nods as he tugs his bulletproof vest tighter around his chest. Raven has no training in action environments and that was one of the reasons why Indra was reticent at first but after running some medical tests and putting Raven through a training session to see what she was capable of, the Latina proved to be fit and in shape despite her disability.

_“I'll go with you.”_

Roan says and Raven knows she can’t really stop him, despite the fact that Aden is with her, having Roan with her reassures her too. Raven sees Luna pass by and looks at her to make sure her girlfriend is alright. Reaching the chambers of Judge Pike doesn’t take them long and soon enough Raven is facing the team she works with. The team is composed of Shumway, Sterling, and Fox, Shumway the Sergeant and oldest of the team looks at her upon her arrival.

_“Raven, I know this is not what you signed up for, we found two devices, one in here and another in the court where the trial was taking place, the one in the other room is easily disarmed but we need to be fast to disarm both and we can’t see this one clearly.”_

The older man says and Raven looks over at Fox, a slender girl with long hair and gentle brown eyes, the girl doesn’t even need to be asked as she hands Raven the small device in her hands where Raven can see the images the detection mechanism is recording. Beneath the door that leads to Judge’s Pike chambers, a small wire is connecting the tiny camera to the screen in Raven’s hands.

_“This looks like a homemade device.”_

Raven says paying attention to details like the red numbers on the timer and the larger box beneath them. She passes the screen over to Fox and puts her protection helmet on.

_“Aden, make sure the whole building is evacuated, Sergeant Shumway take Sterling and disarm the other device I want everyone else out of here and you two as soon as possible.”_

Raven says as Sterling a man about Raven’s age looks at Shumway and at Raven again. The Latina has proved her skills more than once and has shown she can handle herself, but this is a drastic situation, she’s basically a consulter for the bomb squad. Indra made it clear that she wanted Raven out of any dangerous situation more often than not which means that usually Raven is in a safe place helping her team in disarming bombs.

_“Raven, you can’t be serious this is totally against protocol, Chief Indra wouldn’t allow it.”_

Sterling says and his voice tells Raven that the man is more worried about the possible outcome for Raven than the rules themselves. Shumway looks at Sterling and nods.

_“Sterling is right, you should go outside while one of us goes in there and take care of it.”_

_“We don’t have time for this right now, the smoke is still too thick, any image I’ll get it won’t be a reliable one, I need to do this myself, and we have two devices and not much time.”_

_“Then I will stay with you.”_

Fox says but Roan steps in looking at Shumway, the man is slightly older than Roan, and technically his superior but Roan’s commanding voice doesn’t leave a margin to doubt of who is in charge.

_“Sergeant; take your team to the other room, disarm the bomb and leave as soon as you can, Raven and I will take care of this.”_

The man nods and steps away at the same time Raven checks the door to see if there’s a chance of it being connected to the bomb. When she is confident that the door is clear she looks over at Roan who has put on a helmet and is adjusting his protective jacket.

_“Do you have any experience with bombs Roan?”_

Raven asks and the sound of her voice is muffled by the helmet, Roan looks at her and nods.

_“I worked with them for some time after I was made detective, it is one of the reasons why I was called to the Kru.”_

Roan replies as he steps inside the room with ease and looks around, he easily spots a smoke bomb near the door that led from the chambers to the courtroom where Clarke was just in. The man calls out for Raven and points to the ground.

_“Guess this was the first explosion we heard when we told Miller and Luna to clear the room, looks like a smoke bomb.”_

The detective says and Raven looks at the can with something similar to a watch attached to it. She can’t quite grasp what is going on but at least that first explosion of the smoke bomb didn’t set the bigger one she is looking at.

_“Shit.”_

The Latina says and Roan looks at her as he walks in her direction.

_“What’s wrong?”_

_“They inserted a timer and fuel in this one, we have twenty minutes to disable it and judging by the wires and the explosive fuel this is probably the biggest one they had armed.”_

_“How can I help?”_

Roan asks as he crouches next to Raven, the device is placed under Pike’s table and Raven carefully pulls it out so she can have better access. Studying the bomb Raven starts to ask Roan for tools from their equipment and the man watches in awe as the Latina moves around the bomb with clever expertise. Raven’s first achievement is to stop the timer and Roan sighs.

_“This isn’t over yet Roan, I need to open this to be able to fully dismantle it.”_

_“What do you want to do?”_

_“I don’t know, I’ve made bombs before, this one is rustic and yet tricky. Usually, there’s always a safe escape, a kind of signature we use so the bomb doesn’t go off while we’re working on it but I don’t see one here.”_

_“Should we open it to take the explosive from the box?”_

Roan asks as he feels tiny drops of sweat rolling down on his face and Raven narrows her eyes at the device and then nods.

_“There’s no other way, the timer is just a decoy, this still can go off any minute without the timer.”_

**

The outside of the courthouse is filled with people, civilians, reporters and people from the police and fire departments. Once outside Luna let go of Clarke as the blonde sees Octavia running in their direction.

_“Fuck, Clarke, are you alright?”_

The younger Blake asks as she hugs Clarke and the blonde sighs thankful for Octavia’s presence, she knew her roommate was fine because she was outside the courtroom so she was probably evacuated at the first signs that something wasn’t right.

_“It was scary as fuck, but I think I’m okay. Have you seen my mom?”_

Clarke asks as she looks around and Octavia nods as she points to an ambulance where Abby is helping an old lady and member of the jury adjusting the oxygen mask around her face.

_“She helped in the triage; some people inhaled too much smoke inside. What the fuck just happened? Luna, you told us that everything was fine.”_

Octavia says still in disbelief looking from Clarke to Luna and the curly-haired detective shakes her head, everything was checked before the trial session started, they had cameras in all the right places. How could someone plant several devices when the security was so tightly prepared is still a mystery for her.

_“Oh my god, honey I’m so glad that you’re okay.”_

Abby runs over to Clarke and hugs her tightly, and Clarke lets herself feel the warmth of her mother’s touch as they hug in relief, this is the second time Abby has been worried sick about her daughter and for the second time she can only pray and thank any god out there who kept her baby safe.

_“Where are Raven and Miller?”_

Clarke asks when she looks around and doesn’t see them around. Octavia looks around too, she had seen Miller before and she spots him close to the paramedics.

_“Miller is over there helping the paramedics.”_

Octavia says as she points in the direction of their friend and Clarke looks over to see Miller nodding to one of the paramedics and starting to walk away.

_“And Raven?”_

Clarke insists once more because she was expecting to see her friend rushing to her and Luna the minute they got out. Octavia looks at Luna and Luna sighs.

_“Raven was going inside when we got out.”_

Luna says and Clarke looks at her with a baffled expression she turns fully towards Luna as Abby watches her carefully.

_“You let her go inside?”_

_“It’s her work now Clarke.”_

Luna says softly aware that the blonde wasn’t particularly keen on the idea of Raven working with the bomb squad in the first place. The blonde shakes her head as tears form in her eyes and she looks at Luna with fire in her blue gaze.

_“It’s a work that can end up with her in a hospital bed, Luna how could you encourage Raven to do this. She doesn’t even have the same training as you.”_

_“Honey calm down, I’m sure Raven knew it was safe to go inside.”_

_“Mom, I can’t lose her too.”_

Clarke says brokenly and Abby can’t do much more than envelop her daughter in her arms. She is acutely aware of the reasoning behind Clarke’s outburst and she tries to reassure the blonde the best she can even if Clarke is restless.

_**3 Months Ago**_

_“Honey stay still you need to be checked.”_

_Abby says and Clarke looks at her, the pain in her hand and thumb completely forgotten upon seeing Lexa taking a bullet for her._

_“I need to see her mom, please tell me she’s okay.”_

_The night is long gone by now, by the time Luna arrived at Cage ́s house it was already dawn, the paramedics were already on their way. Luna made sure to call them for medical backup, she knew that Brett would need it and she had a feeling that Lexa’s heroic actions would lead her or Cage to be taken to the hospital too._

_Luna’s assumptions were proven correct the minute she got through the door of Cage’s place and heard the shots being fired. After that it was all a blur even for Luna, she shot Cage at the same time as Lexa and Clarke, and the blonde collapsed next to Lexa’s body soon after. Cage’s lifeless body was an indication of the tragic events. Brett was still breathing and while Roan checked on Lexa and Clarke the curly-haired detective tried to help Brett as best she could._

_Clarke woke up on her way to the hospital and since the moment she woke up, she has been restless, the paramedics couldn’t do much more than to give her some medicine to relieve the effects of the pain and help her with her broken thumb. When the ambulance finally arrived at the hospital Abby was already there to attend to Clarke’s injuries making sure she had her best doctors attending to Brett and Lexa._

_Abby looks down at her daughter’s hands tainted with blood from Brett and Lexa and she resists the urge to cry for her daughter’s pain. Clarke’s hands are shaking and when she looks at them she can’t stop the tears that roll down her face._

_“Let me see her mom.”_

_Clarke begs and Abby places a gentle hand on Clarke’s shoulder and squeezes it slightly making the blonde look up at her._

_“Honey, please let me attend to your injuries, Lexa is being taken care of and I assure you that once I’m done with you I’ll personally see to Lexa too. But you have a broken bone and you need to be cleaned and properly checked, you know Lexa would want you to get yourself checked out too.”_

_Abby says and Clarke lets out a soft sob as she nods and looks down at her hands again, her right hand is starting to become swollen and the skin of her thumb has a purple tonality._

_“She saved me, mom, she… That bullet was meant for me.”_

_Clarke says because she is sure Cage looked at her when he aimed the gun, Clarke’s hands feel heavy all of a sudden as if she was still holding Lexa’s small gun, she pointed a gun at another human being and that in itself is scary, but pulling the trigger is something Clarke doesn’t think she can forget and yet the blonde would do it again if she knew it would save Lexa._

_With Clarke’s cooperation, Abby gets to work cleaning her daughter’s hands and making sure she won’t damage the broken bone any further, with the help of the nurses she leads Clarke to a room and they strip the blonde off of her dirty clothes. Abby lists a number of exams she wants to be carried out on Clarke, one is the X-ray she knows is needed so the orthopedic department can look in detail to the blonde’s hand injury._

_It doesn’t take longer than one hour but it feels like an eternity to Clarke, when she is finally admitted to the room her mother leaves her to seek information about Lexa. In the meantime the blonde will be checked by doctor Burch, the orthopedic surgeon makes sure to see Clarke even before the X-ray is taken, after all, she’s Abby’s daughter and everyone respects and cares for the older Griffin deeply. With Clarke admitted and on fluids Abby also asks the nurses to give her something to make the blonde sleep, the reporter is against it but eventually the meds and the exhaustion takes over and then Clarke closes her eyes to fall into a deep slumber._

_Clarke wakes up in the hospital bed and looks at her right side noticing that someone is by her side in a chair. Her heart squeezes painfully in her chest and she blinks a few times still slightly confused about her whereabouts. She focuses her eyes on her mother's sleeping figure, Abby is peacefully asleep but Clarke can see her tired expression even through Abby’s closed eyelids. Clarke moves her legs trying to be quiet as to not wake her mother up. However before she places her feet on the floor she feels a hand on her shoulder that makes her stop._

_“Where do you think you're going?”_

_Clarke turns around to be faced with Octavia’s worried gaze. The blonde deflates slightly and turns around to look at her friend._

_“I need to check on Lexa.”_

_The blonde says as the sunlight shines across the room and Octavia shakes her head forcing Clarke to tuck her legs beneath the hospital bed sheets._

_“You can't see her. The doctor told us to let you rest and I'm not letting you out of here.”_

_“Octavia, please I need to see her.”_

_Clarke begs and Octavia sits on the bed beside her and pulls Clarke closer to envelope her in a warm and needed embrace._

_“Lexa had a surgery; she's sleeping now Clarke, Luna and Raven are outside her room with the others.”_

_“She's alive?”_

_Clarke asks because she remembers how Lexa spoke to her as if she was dying and Octavia nods and the blonde looks at her friend again._

_“And Brett?”_

_The question catches Octavia off guard and she sighs._

_“She was in surgery too, we can't tell for sure if she will recover but there's nothing you can do now, for any of them.”_

_The brunette says and Clarke looks down at her hands, Lexa’s blood is long gone but Clarke feels as if its stickiness is engraved in her memory._

_“Do you want me to call Ray? I'll tell her you're awake.”_

_Octavia says and Clarke nods because at least Raven knows something about Lexa, it might not be much but Octavia knows it will hold off the blonde for some time._

**Present Moment**

_“What the fuck?”_

Raven says as she feels drops of sweat rolling down on her face. She looks at Roan and takes her protective helmet off as the man watches her with incredulity.

_“Raven put that on. That's an order.”_

The man says as Raven places the helmet on the floor and wipes the sweat off of her face.

_“I can't see a damn thing with this on.”_

The Latina says as she looks at the timer, she did something because now it's slowly but surely counting down again.

_“Let's give up Raven, this is literally a ticking bomb, the building has already been evacuated and the other devices already exploded, and Sterling disarmed the one in the other room we do better if we just let it go off.”_

_“Not a fucking chance Roan, this is why I was called to work with you guys, there's no way of telling if they planted more devices that the rest of the bomb squad didn’t find. If they did, if there are any more devices still there and this one goes off we can't tell what the impact on this building or the surrounding ones in the area will be.”_

Roan looks at her and shakes his head as another minute is over on the timer.

_“We're running out of time Reyes we should save ourselves.”_

_“You can go, Roan, I'm not going to risk your life but I'm not leaving until I figure this out.”_

The Latina says and Roan can tell by the definitive tone in Raven’s voice that she is not budging. The man crouches once more next to her and looks over to the device that reads 7 minutes. Rationally speaking he knows that they should be out but if Raven is staying he will not leave her behind. He might have not been able to protect Lexa, but he sure as hell is not going to make the same mistake with Raven.

_“What do you need?”_

_“I think the timer won't stop now, I can’t find the fucking switch. The power supplier and the initiator are really close together and I can’t take the blasting cap off either. The only chance we have is if I take the explosives out to prevent the explosion of spreading. Hold the timer out as I work through the wires. I can see some shattered glass here too. ”_

Raven demands and surely soon enough Roan’s steady hands are allowing her to make sense of the puzzle that the bomb presents itself to be. After two excruciating minutes the Latina moves a glass component in the form of a tube with something greenish-brown inside it, then carefully she looks down at the explosives and takes them out as she looks at Roan and the detective nods as he lets go of the timer and picks it up.

_“You can go now.”_

_“What? I'm not leaving you behind.”_

The man says and Raven shakes her head as she cuts a few wires but then packs the tools they have been using.

_“I'm right behind you Roan, you're faster and you clearly have steady hands, if this goes off I want that thing to be as far from this room as possible.”_

Raven says pointing at the man’s hands and Roan although reluctant starts to make his way out of the room as fast as he can. The detective is about to leave that court’s wing when he looks back to see Raven striding in his direction and to Roan’s surprise, she is surprisingly fast. They hear a noise from the room and immediately they round the corner towards the entrance of the courthouse. A loud bang is heard and they seek refuge behind the corner wall as a thick cloud of smoke envelopes them.

_“Fuck this one was close.”_

Raven says and Roan looks at her, the Latina has her helmet on again and for a moment Roan can't quite believe that the always witty Latina is working with Monty and the squad bomb but she is and she managed to disarm a bomb that none of them knew how dangerous could have been. They try to make sense of the direction they need to follow, the cloud of smoke makes it hard to know where the door is and also hard to breathe even with their helmets on but slowly they make their way out.

**

_“What's happening in there Roan?”_

Chief Indra asks through the intercom for the third time only to get static as an answer, just like the other two times before. Indra arrived at the scene as soon as possible, the station got a weird anonymous call about the trial and Indra hadn't even thought about it twice and went to the courthouse. Titus’ words from three months ago about his calls were still echoing in her mind.

_“Chief let me go in.”_

Miller says in an almost pleading tone and Indra shakes her head vehemently.

_“I can't risk anyone's lives; the firefighter squad team is already in place.”_

The Chief says and Miller mumbles something under his breath that Indra chooses to ignore for Nathan's sake. Indra is well aware of what's at stake, as soon as Platt told her about the call her thoughts went to Gaia and the danger she was possibly facing. And after what happened with Lexa she is even more aware of how wrong things can go when someone makes an impulsive decision.

Looking around Indra sees Luna with her eyes glued to the building with turmoil in her eyes, the Chief swallows down the knot in her throat. Despite her decision to accept Raven’s skills and having her working at the Station she can see that Luna wasn't quite prepared for drastic situations with the Latina on them, even if Luna was an important factor in her decision.

_“What's taking them so long?”_

Gaia asks seeing her mother's worried expression and Indra sighs. Her first priority when she arrived was to look for Gaia and thankfully she found her and was relieved to see that she was alright despite slightly shaken and taken aback.

_“I’m not sure, I'm trying to reach to Roan but he's not answering.”_

Indra says and Gaia looks at her, the woman remains stoic but even Gaia can see her mother's clouded gaze with worry. Despite the arguments they have had in the last few years, Gaia can see that her mother is not heartless as Gaia accused her so many times of being. Indra might have lost too many important moments of Gaia’s life when she was younger but she never stopped loving her daughter and Gaia’s customized leather case in her messenger bag is one small proof of that. Gaia understands now through her own professional life that sometimes being committed to a job takes more of a person than one can expect, her previous failed relationship is a perfect example of that, and although that can’t quite excuse her mother’s almost permanent absence during her childhood she can see now that Indra’s actions never came for the lack of love. Indra might not have been present at school parties or school meetings but she always was present at Gaia’s birthdays and always knew what her daughter wanted.

_“Mom, look?”_

Gaia says as a cloud of smoke comes out from the building’s entrance and Indra lifts her gaze to see as two figures slowly and carefully stepping out of the building. Indra looks over at Miller and nods and the detective doesn’t waste any time and sprints in Roan’s and Raven’s direction to see if they are alright.

**

The wheelchair stops abruptly and Niylah looks at her patient. In her years of practice, she has seen patients recovering from terrible injuries but this case challenges her beyond words. The physical therapist looks over at her patient and then her gaze goes over to the TV in the living room. Once more Niylah thinks about her patients, it's not the first time she has helped someone in their environment but it's the first time she has helped someone in a cabin outside of town.

_“Are you alright?”_

Niylah asks carefully and the person on the wheelchair mumbles something under their breath as they pick the remote control and turn up the volume of the TV.

_“How long has this been on?”_

_“I don't know; I turned the TV to the local channel as you requested when I arrived but I haven’t been paying too much attention.”_

Niylah says suddenly feeling very self-conscious over her lack of attention at the news, judging by the big yellow letters saying “breaking news” it must be something serious.

_“Even with the police in the perimeter and all the security measures that we as reporters witnessed all morning, we can confirm now that the threats made became a reality. Several devices were set off during this trial session. At the moment there are no casualties reported. You can see that behind me the firefighters are already in place to take action. The bomb squad is also working inside the building and the court was evacuated. At the moment we're still waiting for a briefing from the police department but we were assured that the perimeter is secured.”_

The reporter says and Niylah gasps at the commotion that she can see on the TV screen. She looks over at her patient to see shaking hands fumbling with a phone.

_“What's this all about?”_

She asks sure that her patient will know the answer but all she gets is a cold and stern look that pins her in place and that renders her speechless. It’s not the first time she had witnessed such an impassive stare, in fact, they happen quite often but even if this particular patient is proving to be more difficult to handle than anticipated Niylah can see beyond the apparent cold and detached façade.

_“Are you ready for our session then?”_

Niylah asks breaking the silence as she moves around the wheelchair to look at her patient and see if her help will be required and the woman groans as she slaps her own legs as if they had committed treachery to the rest of her body.

_“These stupid legs won’t work no matter what you do with me Niylah.”_

The woman says and Niylah is taken aback by the despair she can hear in her patient’s voice, she follows the woman’s gaze over to the TV once more and frowns. Usually, the woman is a lot more controlled with her emotions, and even if it always sounds as if she had given up on her own recovery this outburst sounds like a tool Niylah can use in her therapy sessions.

_“You want to be there don’t you?”_

The physician asks with a challenging voice and the woman looks at her and clenches her jaw.

_“I can’t help them anymore, they are better off. This…”_

The woman says as she rolls her wheelchair around in the available space to prove her point.

_“This is what I am right now.”_

The woman says in her broody voice and looks up at Niylah, the tall woman of brown gentle eyes and dark blonde hair scoffs and crosses her arms.

_“We’ve been through this before, your spine is fine, your legs are fine, you don’t have any injury that prevents you from walking Woods, but you have decided in your mind that you can’t walk and that’s what’s causing you to be in this wheelchair. It wasn’t the bullet or the surgery; you’re doing this to yourself because you can’t move on from what happened.”_

Niylah says but regrets her harsh words the minute Lexa turns her wheelchair around offering her back to Niylah and to put some distance between herself and Niylah. She can’t have this conversation again; she had heard it many times before over the last two months. She grabs the wheels so forcefully that her knuckles turn white.

_“I can’t feel my fucking legs Niylah.”_

The former detective says and Niylah deflates, she knows exactly what’s happening, she knows why Lexa is in a wheelchair and she knows what needs to be done, she had discussed her plan alongside with Dr. Becca when they were both assigned to treat Lexa.

_“Lexa, you need to let us help you, the longer you stay in that wheelchair the harder it will be for you to recover the full mobility of your legs.”_

The blonde says and Lexa’s heart squeezes painfully in her chest.

_“I don’t know why you bother so much. I can’t take care of her but you can, you can make her happy.”_

Niylah closes her eyes at Lexa’s detached monotone voice, this the blonde supposes is one of the reasons why Lexa is not friendly towards her most of the time. Niylah would feel angry if she didn’t know better the story between Clarke and Lexa and if Lexa didn’t sound so fucking defeated.

_“This shouldn’t be about Clarke, but about you instead.”_

The blonde woman says and Lexa looks at her over her shoulder, the calm and gentle tone Niylah almost always uses with her always baffles her and reminds her of Luna. She looks at the TV and sighs.

_“You can leave now.”_

_“We didn’t even start your physio session.”_

Niylah says looking at Lexa with a surprised expression but the former detective just shakes her head and focuses her eyes on the TV once more. Niylah takes a deep breath as she looks over to the TV too and sees a familiar face on the background of the screen. Silently the blonde packs her things and walks over to the door, before she steps out and closes it behind her she looks over at Lexa again.

_“I understand your frustrations, but if you don’t do this for yourself at least do it for her. Try to walk again for Clarke, she needs you.”_

With that Niylah walks out the door leaving Lexa alone with her thoughts. The broody brunette sighs as the door closes and looks at the TV and then at her phone. She doesn’t quite understand how big the events on the courthouse were, but she needs to know and so she calls the number of the person who has been by her side ever since she was shot.

_“Lexa? I’m assuming you’re seeing the news and you’re calling to ask me about what happened.”_

Luna says but her voice wavers as she speaks almost as if Luna is running while talking. Lexa takes a moment to breathe deeply and then nods once to herself as she looks over at the screen noticing that the live feed from the courthouse is not playing anymore.

_“Is she okay?”_

Lexa asks as Luna walks inside the car and her heart squeezes at the longing she can hear in her friend’s voice. She looks over to her right side to see Miller looking at her with a comprehensive expression he nods to her and Luna smiles.

_“Clarke is shaken but fine, I don’t have much time Lexa, but she misses you, she needed you today.”_

Luna says at the same time a loud sound of a car horn is heard and Luna looks over at her left to see Roan motion with his hands for her to go.

_“What’s going on?”_

Lexa asks noticing the uneven breathing coming from Luna and the curly-haired detective sighs as she looks over at Miller who shrugs as if to tell her that it is Luna’s choice to say what happened or not. After a long exhale Luna nods at Miller and looks at Roan’s car already a few meters ahead of her.

_“It’s Nia; she got hit by one of the explosions. She’s at the hospital and we’re on our way there.”_

With that, the call ends and Lexa looks over at her phone as she feels her heart thrumming inside her ribcage in anxiety and impotence. Roan’s mother might not be the best one but she is his mother and she got hit by a bomb that exploded inside a courthouse. Nothing makes much sense about this all mess, in fact, nothing has made sense for some time from Lexa’s perspective, but she can’t stay in a cabin outside Boston while Roan has his mother in a hospital bed, and yet she can’t go anywhere in a wheelchair.

It is way past 1 pm when Lexa has a bag pack with some folded clothes in it resting on the floor beside her wheelchair and holds her phone in her hands as she waits outside the cabin for her ride back to Boston. With everyone working there was only one person she could call and despite all the odds Lexa doesn’t need to wait much longer to see the blue Mitsubishi pick-up riding through a dirt road and stop in front of her.

Still not entirely ready to go back to Boston but wanting to be closer to Roan and his team Lexa rolls her chair down and makes a point of getting inside the car by herself, even if she is grateful for the help and surprised about this still newfound friendship that is forming there’s something she still has: her pride. Despite the bond between her and her silent companion, Lexa wants to be as independent as she can and even if it’s hard to make the transition she gets inside the truck and closes the door. With one look around she nods and the car reverses to make its way to Boston. Whatever her trip back to Boston has in store for her she won’t be alone and isolated of the world.


	2. Boston

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> Welcome back to a new update on this story.  
> I know I keep repeating myself but let me just start by thanking all of you who already left hits and kudos on the previous chapter and especially I want to thank those of you who were kind enough to take some time to comment on it.  
> It is amazing to be back and see you guys are still there and still enjoying this story.  
> This second part is a new chapter in our characters lives, as I said before I like to think I write this story almost as if it was a script of a TV show so think about this as its second season.  
> Now I won't take more of your time.  
> Enjoy the chapter and let me know how you feel about it.

**Chapter 2 - Boston**

The trip back to Boston is smooth and even pleasant, the sun casts its light and the sky is a vivid blue, all that remains of winter is the soft cold breeze that Lexa feels on her features when she opens the passenger door. Despite the struggle she moves from the car to the wheelchair under the watchful gaze of her companion.

The ER of Boston Central Hospital is as usual crowded and Lexa watches it with something in her green eyes that resembles anxiety. She adjusts the gloves she bought to help her in pushing the wheels and nods once to herself. Being back at the hospital is nothing new for her, but it always leaves her with a feeling of dread even though this time she isn't there for herself.

_“Do you want me to push you on our way into the hospital?”_

Lexa looks up and shakes her head if she's stuck with this wheelchair she might as well get used to doing everything in her power to be independent.

_“I got this Bellamy.”_

The former detective says and Bellamy sighs but nods. Lexa is acutely aware that Bellamy feels guilty for what happened to her, but Lexa knows it is not his fault and makes sure to show him that at every chance she gets. Their still blossoming friendship might have started over Bellamy’s need of apologizing, but Lexa soon found out that the older Blake was in fact everything Clarke said he was: attentive, protective and good-hearted. As they move closer to the door Bellamy notices some apprehension in Lexa’s green gaze, gently he places one of his hands on her shoulder, and Lexa stops and looks up at him.

_“Are you alright? I'm sure Roan will understand if you're not here.”_

_“I'm fine; this is where I have to be. But… Do you know if she's in there?”_

Lexa asks and Bellamy’s heart squeezes painfully in his chest over Lexa’s pain and uncertainty. He doubted Lexa’s feelings for the blonde for a long time but he knows now how deep and genuine they are even if Lexa doesn't talk about it.

_“I don't know, but I can text O and ask her.”_

Bellamy says and Lexa nods, as much as she desires to see Clarke again, she thinks that the blonde reporter doesn't feel the same after all Lexa made sure Clarke would hate her.

As Lexa and Bellamy pass through the ER doors they are greeted with the expected commotion, nurses running around and patients begging for attention. Bellamy signals for Lexa to wait and he walks over to the nurses' desk to find out where Roan and the rest of their friends are. It doesn't take him long to be back by Lexa’s side with the room’s number.

_“Let's go, but be careful I don't want to get any speeding tickets because of you and your wheels are over the speed limit.”_

Bellamy says as he points in the direction of the room and Lexa shakes her head but smiles at Bellamy nonetheless. Despite her condition when she is around Bellamy she feels at ease, the older Blake always tries to lighten up the mood with trivial jokes, even about the wheelchair and even if Lexa doesn't say it, the man knows that she feels normal around him. They had a rough start but even if Bellamy doesn't agree with Lexa’s recent actions he understands her on some level.

They move in the room’s direction in silence and Lexa thinks not for the first time how fate can be so ironic, her feelings of distrust for Bellamy changed to a sense of comradery to the point that Lexa knew that Bellamy would be the one person she could call to come pick her up at her cabin and take her to Boston. The former detective knows that Bellamy doesn’t agree with her when it comes to Clarke but somehow he still cares and looks out for her even if Lexa hurt Clarke with her decisions. As surprising as it is Lexa can’t help but think that since she woke up from the surgery Bellamy has been a constant in her life.

_**3 months ago**_

_As Lexa opens her eyes her whole body feels numb and her throat incredibly dry. Still groggy the detective blinks her eyes as she tries to make sense of what's happening around her. As Lexa closes her eyes flashbacks of what happened fill her mind: Brett getting shot, Lexa feeling her blood slipping through her fingers and Clarke aiming a gun, Cage’s smile fading into something wild; it’s painful and leaves Lexa in agony._

_As the memories come to Lexa’s mind she grows restless and tries to move from the bed but an arm gently pins her in place. The detective looks up at the figure shadowing the sun and jerks her arm away._

_“Lexa, take it easy, you just woke up from surgery, you shouldn't move.”_

_Bellamy says with his voice soft like Lexa never heard before and the brunette looks up at him as the man moves around the bed to grab a glass of water for Lexa to take. The confusion in green grazed eyes doesn't go unnoticed by Bellamy but he doesn't address it. He hands Lexa the water and the brunette despite being taken aback by this caring and softer version of the older Blake grabs the glass and drinks from it with a thankful sigh._

_“Let me call Abby to tell her that you're awake.”_

_Bellamy says as he places the glass on the bedside table, but before he moves Lexa touches his arm and the man looks at her._

_“Clarke?”_

_Lexa asks and her voice sounds raspy even to her own ears from the sleep and lack of use and Bellamy smiles at her._

_“Clarke is alright, you saved her.”_

_Bellamy says and Lexa shakes her head but falls silent, Bellamy nods and starts to walk out of the room and when he is about to open the door of Lexa’s room the detective calls him._

_“Bellamy, do you know anything about Brett?”_

_The man stops and turns around, he smiles with a shake of his head because although Octavia and Raven told him before Lexa was good, he is witnessing it now. Lexa’s concern for Clarke and Brett over her own wellbeing it's an indicator of how caring she is._

_“Brett had surgery too, she came into the hospital in a critical condition but she's stable now. You saved them both. Now let me call Abby to check on you and I'll tell Clarke you're awake, she wanted to see you since you arrived.”_

_With that the older Blake opens the door and leaves Lexa alone, later on she will ask herself why Bellamy was the one inside her room and the first face she saw when she woke up, but for now she is still too tired and confused to form coherent thoughts. She leans her head back on the pillows and sighs, she looks around at herself and notices for the first time the tubes and machines around her. Something is attached to her right arm, it must be fluids; Lexa isn't sure for how long she had been at the hospital but she doesn't feel hungry so the needle in her vein must be for the fluids that are keeping her body working. Tentatively she moves one hand over to her abdomen and feels the lump above her skin, the bandage feels slightly uncomfortable but Lexa leaves it be. Looking down at her body the detective moves her arms and her legs, but something must be wrong because despite trying to move her legs in order to sit up she just can’t do it._

_“Lexa, honey, how are you feeling?”_

_Abby asks from the door with a bright smile of relief and Lexa shrugs trying to hide the despair she was feeling over not being able to move her legs._

_“I've been better I suppose.”_

_The detective says and Abby nods in understanding as she walks further inside the room and squeezes Lexa’s hand in a softer greeting._

_“I need to check the bandage okay?”_

_Abby then asks and Lexa nods; Abby pulls the sheets from Lexa’s body and lifts the white bandage so she can see the wound, she makes an acknowledging sound and makes quick work of taking the bandage off._

_“I need to clean this up so I can put a new bandage on. I’ll also touch some areas on your abdomen to make sure your stitches are okay and to check for any other signs of pain to rule any post-surgery complications. This might hurt a little, if it’s too much you’ll have to tell me okay?”_

_Lexa nods once more and closes her eyes to not see what Abby is doing. As Abby takes care of Lexa’s wound and applies some pressure on some specific spots the detective remains silent, even if she winces once or twice. The older Griffin can tell that Lexa is trying to remain stoic, but she believes that if Lexa was in too much pain she would talk about it as it is important for her recovery._

_“I’m sorry I’ve put Clarke in danger Doctor Griffin.”_

_Lexa says after some time in silence and Abby’s eyes widen at Lexa’s words as she shakes her head and covers Lexa once more with the sheets after finishing with her examination and the bandage. Lexa opens her eyes to see Abby looking at her with a dumbfounded expression._

_“First of all quit with that formality around me, I’ve told you before. It wasn’t your fault and don’t you even dare to say otherwise. You were not responsible for that man’s madness. I can say it like this now because you’re all okay, but Clarke tried to be a smartass, those were the first words Raven told her when she saw her and I stand behind them a hundred percent. But the crimes he committed, what he did, it all falls on him and his mental issues, if someone failed here it wasn’t you but the system as a whole.”_

_Abby says with such finality that Lexa can’t help but accept it with a nod._

_“Is Clarke alright? Bellamy told me she was but he didn’t give me the details, only about Brett’s condition.”_

_Abby takes off her gloves as Lexa watches her carefully and the doctor picks the chair where Bellamy was minutes ago and pulls it over next to Lexa’s bed, carefully she adjusts the detective’s position so they can talk more. Granted that Abby knows she won’t have much time, she’s pretty sure that Clarke will come sooner rather than later to Lexa’s room to see her in person._

_“Clarke had a broken bone, she broke her thumb in order to get the ropes off of her wrists, at first we thought she would need surgery, doctor Burch, the ortho Chief said that she wants to give Clarke a chance to heal by herself. She has a cast now and can’t move her right hand, but that’s about it, a few scratches on her face but overall she’s fine, just really worried about you. She didn’t even want to be treated without seeing you when you both came in.”_

_Abby says with a soft smile and Lexa resists the urge to cry over the pain she caused the blonde but Abby leans in and squeezes Lexa’s right hand for comfort making the brunette look at her._

_“Now, I reckon that we don’t have much time till Clarke and probably Raven invade this room so I want to talk about you. Do you have any pain or any symptoms that we need to take in consideration on your recovery? And be honest Lexa, you don’t need to play tough here.”_

_Somehow the way Abby’s voice sounds makes Lexa think of her mother and it gives her a strange sense of comfort, Abby is not her mother, Elizabeth Woods was a very different woman, but the one thing in common is the caring and motherly way they speak and that gives Lexa some pause for thought._

_“I feel slightly sore and still somewhat numb, especially in my legs, I can’t quite feel them.”_

_Lexa says and Abby nods as she moves from the chair to the end of the bed where she lifts the sheets and takes a tool from her lab coat to touch Lexa’s feet when she doesn’t get any reaction she puts the tool back in her pocket and looks at Lexa. Abby’s worries and apprehensions are so well masked that not even Lexa can notice them._

_“I’ll have a neuro-surgeon to come and check on you and we’ll run some tests, but this is to be expected. You were shot and when you came in you had massive bleeding, the bullet didn’t hit any vital organs but it split inside your body, some of the debris moved inside you and lodged near your spine. Through surgery we were able to take them out and stop the bleeding. Some nerves were compromised but not to the point to fully endanger your mobility. We did everything in our power to ensure so, so we will run some tests but I’m confident that this is just a post-surgery side effect.”_

_Abby explains calmly and Lexa nods reassured that this is just a temporary effect from the surgery and that this feeling or better the lack of feeling in her legs is just an side consequence of what her body went through._

_“Lexa?”_

_Clarke asks from the door and Lexa’s eyes move from Abby’s face to the blonde’s. The detective smiles but before Bellamy has the chance to push the wheelchair Clarke is using to move her inside the room Raven steps in, cutting off Clarke's line of sight and walks inside the room. The Latina moves to the left side of Lexa’s bed and looks down at Lexa._

_“Fucking Christ, commander you scared us, I thought you would pull a Jason Rothenberg move on us.”_

_Raven says making a weird reference to a TV show she watched some time ago and Lexa looks from Raven to Luna who steps inside the room looking at Clarke with an apologetic expression._

_“Jason who?”_

_“Jason, the rotten apple. But anyway it's fucking great to see you hotshot.”_

_“Ignore her please, she hasn't been sleeping much and I think she might be high on caffeine.”_

_Luna says pulling Raven to her side and Clarke scoffs as she gets up from the wheelchair. Bellamy looks at her but she turns to him unbothered by his glare._

_“My legs are fine; I'm perfectly capable of walking.”_

_Clarke says at the same time Roan, Anya, Miller, and Echo appear in the door and Lexa chuckles at the blonde's antics but winces slightly over the pressure she feels in her abdomen. Abby notices this and clears her throat calling out the attention of all the many people in the room._

_“Okay, you all have seen Lexa, now I need you to leave.”_

_“Mom!”_

_Clarke complains but Abby shakes her head and Clarke sighs._

_“I have seen her but I haven't touched her.”_

_Clarke says as she walks past her mother and saunters closer to the bed touching Lexa’s face gently as the detective closes her eyes at the caress. Raven teases Clarke but the blonde ignores her in favor of leaning in to kiss Lexa’s lips, they feel chapped and dry but the blonde is just relieved by the fact that Lexa is awake and more importantly alive._

_“Okay, now you really need to leave.”_

_Abby says to the people still inside the room and albeit reluctantly Clarke nods, Abby motions for Clarke to sit in the wheelchair and the blonde protests but obliges as everyone starts to leave Lexa’s room, and Abby looks at Lexa again._

_“I'll be back later for a follow-up, Chief Indra took Lianna and Emori home to make them rest but I'll call them to let them know you're awake.”_

_Abby says and she notices when Bellamy stays behind lingering in the room._

_“I'll be out in a minute.”_

_The man says and before Clarke can protest Abby is pushing her out of the room. As soon as everyone is out of the room Bellamy approaches Lexa’s bed with careful steps. The detective looks wary at him noticing the insecure expression on his features._

_“Lexa, I… I want to apologize for how I acted. I was frustrated with myself and I took it out on you, it wasn't right or fair of me and I don't think that any of this was your fault. In fact, if someone is to blame here it would be me. I should have looked for Clarke, I shouldn't have agreed with her idea to start with.”_

_Bellamy says as a tear rolls down his face and Lexa shakes her head._

_“You know as well as I do that Clarke would have still gone there with or without your backup. I know you feel responsible and maybe you should have been more focused on watching Clarke but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter, Cage would have got to her one way or another. The fact that you were there and realized she was missing made us take action sooner. If you weren't there and didn't tell me to go to her place it would take longer to find out the truth.”_

_Lexa says calmly as her eyes start drooping with sleep and Bellamy nods, Clarke and Luna had told him that he shouldn't feel responsible, but somehow hearing it from Lexa makes the older Blake believe it to be true. He can see Lexa is being genuine. He places one hand on Lexa’s leg and squeezes it not noticing how the brunette fixates her eyes at the gesture._

_“I'll leave you to rest now.”_

_“Thank you.”_

_Lexa says still looking at the spot on her body where Bellamy touched her, she didn't feel it. Not even a single tingle but Abby said it was to be expected and so before Lexa has time to dwell on it she falls asleep still feeling Clarke's warm lips on her own._

**Present Moment**

Luna is the first one to spot Lexa’s arrival and she immediately gets up from her chair to greet her, Raven noticing her girlfriend’s movements, looks up from her phone and smiles.

_“Hotshot, if I had known that all it took for you to be back would be a few smoking bombs I would have made them myself.”_

Raven says in her witty and easy way and Lexa chuckles as the Latina leans down to hug her, then she looks over to the room and at Luna.

_“How is she?”_

Lexa asks and Luna looks over at the door of the room where Nia is resting with Roan by her side.

_“She has a concussion.”_

Luna says and Lexa nods as Bellamy peeks through the glass door covered by blue curtains and sees Roan talking to his mother.

_“What happened?”_

Lexa asks then and Luna shakes her head as Raven’s phone rings and the Latina takes a few steps back.

_“We don't know yet, we had the place checked the day before, we had our surveillance system on and we were monitoring the images and we didn't see anything. I don't know what to think, it is a mystery so far. A few small bombs went off during the trial session when Clarke was testifying, but mostly it was smoke and a scare. All we know is that Judge Pike was threatened and our station got a call about a bomb threat, there was a bigger device in Judge’ Pike chambers but Raven took care of it.”_

_“So Clarke wasn't the target?”_

Lexa asks because she needs to know, she has been aware of Nia’s trial and all the dangers that entailed but something is off from her perspective.

_“Clarke wasn't the target. My mother was.”_

Roan says as he steps out from the room and Luna’s and Lexa’s eyes fall on him. The man takes a few steps in their direction and shakes Bellamy’s hand in greeting, and then he looks over at Lexa.

_“You didn't have to come.”_

The man says and it sounds even sharper than he intended, Lexa sighs, her friendship with Roan has been shaky for the last month or so. The man overheard Niylah talking with Lexa about her status, the physician made it clear that Lexa had no physical injury and that sent Roan over the edge.

_“Of course I had. She's your mother and I'm your friend.”_

Roan ignores the last part of Lexa’s statement and looks over at Luna who is looking in Raven’s direction as if not to be a part of the argument. The curly-haired detective can understand Roan’s frustrations over Lexa’s recovery but she is sympathetic with the former detective’s pain, although she doesn’t know of the conversation Roan heard she knows that Lexa wouldn’t lie about not being able to walk.

_“Nia received a few emails saying she wouldn't survive the trial. She was the target of the bombs; she's shaken up but being herself and demanding that we're the ones who investigate the case. I know that Miller went to the station to get formal statements of the witnesses including Gaia, Clarke, Octavia and I think Chief Indra might actually consider Nia’s request about the Kru taking this one over.”_

_“But you're personally involved. You shouldn't even be at the scene today. If this gets out we're gonna be screwed in the eyes of the media.”_

Luna says and Roan shrugs as he looks over his shoulder to his mother inside the room who seems to be reading something on a tablet.

_“Nia is my mother but I'm a professional, besides she's a victim here, I don't see why the media will doubt our intentions on this.”_

_“Guys Clarke and O are on their way here to check on Roan and I need to go back to the station.”_

Raven says and Roan groans, he won't deny he was worried about Nia, she is his mother, but there's no need for all this fuss. However, he looks at Lexa and smirks.

_“Great, maybe blondie can convince this coward here to walk again.”_

Roan says sharply and defiantly and Lexa clenches her jaw in anger but Bellamy places a hand on her shoulder and shakes his head making Lexa swallow her anger down and looking around to avoid Roan’s gaze. The action doesn't go unnoticed by Raven, normally she would tease them about it, but she had a long day and she doesn't want to add fuel to Lexa’s anger.

_“How long are you staying?”_

Luna asks breaking the tension and the brunette looks at Bellamy and shrugs as she looks at Luna once more.

_“I’m not sure yet, I didn't plan coming here, but I don't think I'll stay long.”_

The former detective says and Luna sighs, she has been visiting Lexa quite regularly but she was hoping that her friend would stay. Maybe staying and being around their friends would help her in her recovery. She could maybe even work on desk duties. As Luna sighs she realizes that hoping that Lexa could stay was just wishful thinking.

_“I have to go but we'll see you later.”_

Luna says and Lena nods as Bellamy watches Roan go inside his mother's room again. The silence that follows Luna's departure is not uncomfortable but there's a sense of tension in the air that even Bellamy can't ignore.

_“How's the IA investigation going?”_

Lexa asks Bellamy and the older Blake sighs. After the shooting things got intense, Dante Wallace demanded answers, the man was completely taken aback by the events and he wanted to know why, how and when his son had come back to the city without anyone knowing it and what exactly happened at the old Wallace decrepit house. With the police under the public scrutiny the Internal Affairs gladly stepped to conduct their own investigation, this one on Bellamy’s conduct. Chief Indra would usually turn a blind eye on the fact that Bellamy was in his uniform when Clarke was taken but with the IA on their tails she had to let the investigation play out.

_“They have our all statements but I don't know; this just feels like it is taking too long, I’m suspended till further notice but it has been two months already and this doesn’t sit well in me. It's not that I don't want to assume the blame for what I did but it seems that the Internal Affairs want more of this.”_

_“You mean they want to attack the Kru for your actions that day.”_

Lexa says and Bellamy can see that her words are a statement and not a question. Despite their still new close proximity Bellamy is getting better at reading the broody and closed off brunette. Although they are closer and that Lexa already spoke to the Internal Affairs, Bellamy has tried to avoid this subject not wanting to add more tension in Lexa’s already troubled life. The man trusts Lexa and her judgment, she mentioned this before after all, but it’s a subject he prefers to keep away from her most of the time. But he does agree that the fact that Bellamy was off duty and still in his uniform when Clarke was taken is just a pretext for the investigation.

_“I mean they haven't said it directly but it is clear to me they are fishing something here, they made Clarke go there to take her statements two times now and I've been there four times. They have asked if I thought this was avoidable that if in my opinion the investigation could have been closed sooner. Their questions were like if you looked at Tristan as suspect why not at Cage? And I don't know; all of this just seems shady. Of course, I didn't say anything, as far as I know it was a flawless investigation.”_

Bellamy says pinching the bridge of his nose and Lexa sighs, she’s familiar with this kind of situation.

_“This is not the first time they took aim at us, Gustus and Indra had their fair share of dubious investigations, this is all political, the goal is not to dismantle the Kru, but from what I gathered at the Gala some male officials don’t accept that Indra is the Chief of the Intelligence Kru.”_

Lexa says and Bellamy nods, even in the Academy he heard rumors about how it works the ego of some men in the higher ranks in the police department. There’s a pause and Bellamy looks around, everyone from the Kru has left and Roan remains in Nia’s room, it is clear that the man is trying to avoid Lexa.

_“I don’t think he will come out while I’m here.”_

Lexa says somewhat dejectedly and noticing the way Bellamy looks at the room door, the older Blake sighs, it pains him to see the hurt behind Lexa’s green eyes, he doesn’t have the full picture and so he doesn’t understand why Roan is being so hard on Lexa. The rookie supposes that is some tough love from the older man’s part. But he said that maybe Clarke would make Lexa walk again and that can’t really be that easy, because Lexa can’t feel her legs and she can’t make herself walk again just because Roan misses his friend at the station.

_“We should go, the trip wasn’t a long or tiring one but you should rest a little.”_

Bellamy says in a protective tone of voice and Lexa raises one eyebrow at him, the man shrugs with smile, looking around and pretending to shiver.

_“Besides hospitals make me feel sick.”_

Lexa shakes her head at Bellamy’s words but nods, Raven had said that Clarke and Octavia were on their way over and despite how badly she misses the blonde she is not prepared to see her, not yet. Bellamy gets up from the chair where he was sitting and moves to the door to knock on it, Roan opens it and Bellamy tells him that he is taking Lexa home, Roan’s eyes fall on Lexa briefly watching her as she moves in her wheelchair and nods. Roan can’t quite believe that Lexa has no physical injury, but she definitely has something, the broody brunette seems to have accepted her condition and that is what makes Roan hard on her but still, he is worried about her.

_“Is she staying at her place?”_

Roan asks and Bellamy looks over his shoulder to Lexa who is fumbling with her phone.

_“I think so; you know she doesn’t accept anyone’s help.”_

_“She should have stayed in the cabin; at least it was better for her there.”_

Roan says in anger and worry and Bellamy nods, the older Blake was surprised to see that the Woods’ cabin was fully prepared for someone in a wheelchair, it’s not common to a cabin in the forest to be so well prepared but he learned in more detail from Lianna that her brother, Lexa’s father, spent the last months of his life in a wheelchair. The man was already problematic but after his wife’s suicide he started to drink even more, for years he tried to make contact with Lexa, but the young girl wasn’t ready to forgive him. One night he decided to leave town and spend some days at his family cabin. He was drinking while driving and crashed his car, he never walked again but some of his work colleagues made adjustments at the cabin for him. He stopped drinking after his accident and tried to reach out for Lexa and make amends, but the damage was already done and Lexa never forgave him for how he abused his wife.

One night the man decided to have a drink, one glass of whiskey turned to a bottle, the alcohol and his meds made his kidneys start to fail, by the time he got on the UNOS transplant list it was already too late.

Kenzi, Lexa’s car, was the only thing she kept from him, and the cabin was half his and half Lianna’s so Lexa decided to keep part of the ownership over it, after all she had nice memories of her mother and her there.

With one last nod Bellamy says his goodbyes to Roan and asks him to text him with any new updates and the man agrees with a thankful nod. When Bellamy steps closer to Lexa he can see that despite her stoicism she is ready to leave the hospital, the man can’t blame her and silently they make their way back to the parking lot.

**

_“I can’t wait to be in my bed.”_

Octavia says with a sigh as the sun slowly starts to move and sink below the horizon, the day had been long and draining, and Clarke can agree with her roommate and friend. If the blonde was nervous at the beginning of the day now she is just tired and confused and to make matters worse she still has to plan out how Arkadia Online News will approach the events of the day in the next few updates.

_“We’re just going to see Roan and see if he needs something.”_

_“I’m sure Roan is fine, Nia on the other hand… Raven said she had a concussion and a few nasty scratches.”_

_“Still O, I won’t lie I’m not worried for Nia, I mean I saw the looks she sent my way while I was testifying, she clearly doesn’t like me and I’m not planning on seeing her, but I just want to make sure Roan is alright with everyone working at the station.”_

_“This bromance between you and Roan is starting to feel weird, I don’t even know if it’s just a bromance anymore.”_

_Octavia says teasingly and Clarke stops on her tracks still outside the hospital and narrows her eyes at her friend._

_“What the fuck do you mean?”_

The blonde asks harshly and Octavia looks at her with widened eyes taken aback by the abrupt tone in Clarke’s voice. It’s not that the younger Blake thinks that something is going on between Clarke and Roan, but Clarke has been spending a fair amount of time with the older detective and she never tells her friend why.

_“Jesus Clarke, I’m joking. After the day we both have I appreciate some humor.”_

_“Well, don’t forget that there’s a reason why Raven is the funny one. Your insinuation is not funny at all. Roan and I are just friends and that’s all.”_

At Clarke’s tone the petite brunette nods and restarts her walk, it is only when she turns to ask Clarke if she knows where Roan is that she realizes that the blonde is still in the same spot looking over to the parking lot with her mouth hanging open and a weird expression on her face. The younger Blake walks over to Clarke and bumps her shoulder with the blonde’s to get her attention.

“Lexa?”

The blonde whispers in astonishment and Octavia’s eyes look over to where Clarke is looking, and sure enough she spots the former detective immediately, the green-eyed brunette is in a wheelchair and to Octavia’s surprise her brother is by Lexa’s side. She shakes her head and blinks her eyes a couple of times to make sure she is seeing Lexa and Bellamy together and then feels Clarke’s gaze on her.

_“Since when does Bellamy know where Lexa is?”_

The blonde asks quite dumbfounded with the scene in front of her, Bellamy waits patiently for Lexa to move from the wheelchair to the car and as soon she’s inside the older Blake closes the door and folds the wheelchair placing it in his truck. When he is done he walks over to the driver’s door and gets inside and soon after the pick-up truck is leaving the parking lot. Clarke’s eyes follow them as they pass by and she almost can see them smiling at each other.

_“What the hell just happened?”_

_“I don't know Clarke, Bell never told me he was friends with Lexa, I know he spent a lot of time in the hospital when she was there, I know that he felt responsible for what happened maybe he still does.”_

Octavia says trailing off when Clarke shakes her head and looks over to the place where Bellamy’s truck was just seconds before as if she was picturing the scene all over again.

_“You know Lexa, she wouldn't let Bellamy drive her around if she didn't trust him, and they almost hated each other four months ago. For Bellamy to be with her here I can only assume that he knows where she's staying and if so it’s because Lexa told him, she wouldn’t do it out of pity for how he feels.”_

Clarke says and she doesn't hide the betrayal in her eyes, she picks up her phone and Octavia looks at her with a frown.

_“What are you doing?”_

_“I’m going to call Bellamy and demand some answers.”_

Clarke says with some exasperation looking at Octavia as if it was obvious and the younger Blake shakes her head and puts her hands over Clarke’s to stop her from calling Bellamy.

_“Clarke, if you call him now chances are that he is still with Lexa, they just left, he won’t tell you shit if he is with her, I'm pretty sure that the clever approach to this is inviting Bellamy over, and make him talk.”_

As people walk around going in and exiting the hospital Clarke looks at Octavia and hears the reasoning behind her words. She nods and exhales deeply pocketing her phone in her jeans.

_“You're right, let's go and see if Roan needs something so we can go home.”_

Octavia beams at her friend and nudges on her shoulder with a smirk.

_“I’m pretty genius if I want to be.”_

Octavia says teasingly and Clarke scoffs as the tension she was feeling starts to fade away. She shakes her head and smiles at her friend.

_“Don't say that around Raven.”_

The blonde says and Octavia shrugs as they resume their pace towards the hospital. A few minutes pass in silence and they are already inside the hospital when Clarke looks at her friend with a pensive expression.

_“I don't understand though. Niylah said that Lexa could walk again, my mom said the same but you saw her O, she was in a wheelchair.”_

The hospital is crowded with people but the two reporters find the room where Roan is with her mother easily. The man looks through the glass door at them and smiles as he gestures for them to wait for a few minutes and both journalists nod at him. Octavia then looks at Clarke and can see the pain, worry, and questions in Clarke's eyes. No matter how many times Clarke says she's over what happened with the former detective Octavia knows it to be a lie. Clarke's pain and concern after seeing Lexa is a clear proof of her feelings for the green-eyed brunette.

_“Yeah, but you haven't seen Niylah in some time; I mean maybe something changed in the meantime and you don't know anything about Lexa’s condition at the moment and your mom doesn’t say shit to us about her.”_

_Octavia says with some exasperation and Clarke looks at the floor, she hasn't reached out to Niylah in weeks and she's aware of it. The blonde feels ashamed of her actions and that feeling increased tenfold when she saw Lexa in the wheelchair. The younger Blake noticing Clarke’s silence looks at her as Roan opens his mother’s room door._

_“Hey, Roan is coming.”_

She says to call out the blonde’s attention and Clarke looks up at Roan as the man approaches them with a friendly smile.

_“Hey blondie, it’s kind of you to show up; unless you’re here in Arkadia’s name.”_

The detective says in a mocking tone and Clarke shakes her head with a smile and punches him teasingly on the arm.

_“Ouch, fuck you’re getting stronger.”_

The man says with a smile and Octavia looks at them both with a raised eyebrow, Roan noticing the younger’s Blake expression clears his throat and looks at both of them.

_“Thank you for coming girls, but everything is okay.”_

_“And how is Nia?”_

_“She has a concussion but she’s okay.”_

The man says and Octavia nods as they sit on the chairs and talk a little with Roan. The conversation flows and neither of them talk about what happened at the courthouse. As time passes Clarke grows a little restless, when Octavia’s phone rings and she excuses herself to answer the call Roan looks at Clarke noticing her clouded blue gaze.

_“What’s wrong, princess?”_

Roan asks and Clarke scoffs at the nickname that even Roan uses sometimes now.

_“I saw Lexa outside. Did you know she was in town?”_

_“No, I think she saw what happened on the news and spoke to Luna, but we didn’t know she was coming.”_

The man says and Clarke can tell he is being genuine about it, despite the first impression she got of Roan she soon realized that he was nothing like his mother and the time that they have been spending together only served her to see the true Roan behind his professional work mask.

_“I don’t understand, she left with Bellamy, I understand that you can’t tell me where she was all this time, but Bellamy? He’s my fucking friend.”_

Clarke says and Roan notices the slight irritation in the blonde’s tone of voice he places on hand on Clarke’s knee and the reporter looks at him.

_“I promised Lexa that I wouldn’t tell you where she was and despite the fact that I don’t agree with her on this, my loyalty lies with my word but Lexa and I are not really on the best of terms so I don’t know why Bellamy was the one with her today.”_

As the man speaks Clarke nods and Roan’s heart breaks over the pain he sees in Clarke’s eyes. The detective has been by Clarke’s side for two months now, at first he felt guilty for what happened if he hadn't gone to see his mother he would have been able to act sooner, to be with Lexa. But after Lexa’s departure Roan saw the deep anguish that Clarke felt; Roan himself being in pain with it made him bond with Clarke. They were both feeling Lexa’s absence on different levels and Roan quickly got a plan to help them both in dealing with Lexa’s absence.

_“Would you like to see her, really see her and talk to her?”_

Roan asks and Clarke glares at him and this is another common occurrence whenever Lexa’s name comes up, Clarke acts as if she hates the former detective and Roan waits until her true feelings show up.

_“She doesn’t want me in her life. She made it very clear the last time we spoke.”_

_“Lexa is a dumbass. Swing by the morning here, I’m sure she will come back to check on me, although I’m not the one in a hospital bed.”_

Roan says with a smug look and Clarke smiles and shakes her head as Octavia approaches them with a tired expression.

_“It was Jaha on the phone, he wants to meet us tomorrow morning to discuss some work things.”_

Octavia says noticing how close Clarke and Roan are chatting, the younger Blake although suspicious of this still recent closeness of Clarke and Roan shrugs it off in favor of a yawn and Clarke chuckles. The blonde looks at her friend and then Roan and smiles at the older man.

_“I’ll think about it. Now let me take this one home or she will be in an awful mood later on.”_

Both reporters hug Roan briefly and as Clarke walks out of the hospital with Octavia by her side she thinks about Roan’s words. Would it be that bad to see Lexa again? Clarke knows she has a lot to say to the detective, she hasn’t heard a lot from Luna about her, and even if she knows she will be angry at the broody brunette for some time she can’t deny that she wants to speak to Lexa again.

**

The sun is sinking below the horizon peeking through the blinds, Indra leans back in the chair as she makes a humming sound of agreement. She has been on the phone for almost half an hour and she is starting to feel slightly hungry after hours of not eating any real food.

_“Yes director, I understand your concern, but I can assure you that Roan will not be a problem on this investigation, his mother was targeted too so I’m sure his focus is on finding who’s behind the bombs at the courthouse.”_

The woman says and the director of the FBI makes just a few more notes about his plans and the Chief nods along as she turns the desk lamp on and looks around at the office. She hoped that by now Roan or Lexa would have started using the office, but Lexa is not part of the Kru anymore and Roan, well Roan has been focused on whatever cases the Kru has but he has also been absent sometimes.

_“I assure you that we’ll have no problems working with your team here, we’ve done it before in the past and I’ll personally be present to greet them.”_

Indra says and the man on the other side thanks her for it, and ends by saying that there will be a team arriving at the station by the next day. The call ends with the formal goodbyes and Indra moves from her chair and opens the door to face the few members of the Kru in the common room. The Chief steps outside the private office on the Kru floor and looks around, two desks are empty and one of them is probably going to be empty for a long time. Lexa’s desk and Lexa’s place is hard to replace. Aden is not a rookie anymore and Indra pulled him off of the patrols to join the Kru. It was a clever decision by Indra since no one doubts that he will do great in the detective’s exam. And having him working with the Kru will shape him perfectly to work with the Kru full time once he is a detective.

_“Alright team, listen up team.”_

Indra’s stern voice makes Luna, Miller and Aden look up at her and get up from their chairs in a sign of respect.

_“I was on the phone with the FBI, as you know due to Nia’s charges her investigation was delegated over to the Federal Bureau. Now although the attack on the Court House today falls under our jurisdiction the FBI wants to have a close eye on this case. The investigation is ours but under their supervision. They claim to have leads on it and they will send agents to work with us. Don't worry this is still our investigation, there will be no feuds over this, we have worked with the FBI before and I'm sure we can do it again. As for Roan as long as he keeps a cool head the FBI doesn't have problems with his involvement but any decision that it needs to be made goes through me. Luna, I trust that you can take the lead on this.”_

_“Yes Chief.”_

The curly-haired detective says with a nod and Indra nods at her too.

_“I don't need to tell you that we are short-staffed so whoever the FBI decides to send will be welcome. I want Raven working in the lab, it is my understanding that the firefighters and the bomb squad team retrieved samples and I want her working on them, as for Monty, I want you, Aden, to work with him.”_

As soon as the words are out of Chief Indra’s mouth he nods and grabs a folder that he hands to Indra.

_“These are the reports I took when I interviewed the witnesses in the courtroom.”_

The young man says and Indra picks the file and opens it on the first page to scan a few lines with a nod.

_“Luna and I already spoke with the lawyers, Clarke and Octavia and we have some of the officers in blue still interviewing some people. Judge Pike insisted that he wants you to be present while we conduct his interview and he also demanded that Nia’s statement is taken by someone other than Roan.”_

Miller says and Indra sighs as she checks her wristwatch and looks at Miller and Luna.

_“Alright, I'll call Judge Pike now and schedule a meeting for tomorrow morning, if he can make it we take his statement and then I'll take Luna to the hospital to take Nia’s, in the meantime, Miller, you'll gather everyone's information from the witness and reports the other officers are taking so we can go over it when Luna and I are back. For now you can go home, it has been a long day and I'm sure you're tired.”_

With that Indra steps back inside the office once more and Luna looks at Miller.

_“Lexa is in town and we're going to have dinner at Redemption. You want to join us?”_

Miller's eyes lit up at the news that Lexa is in town, despite their rocky relationship the man had learned to respect and care for Lexa deeply. The fact that she saved Clarke is a huge factor in the way his feelings for the broody brunette changed.

_“I’m actually having dinner with Jackson but I'll swing by to see her.”_

The man says with an easy smile and then frowns as if something just occurred to him and he looks at Luna again.

_“Wait! Does that mean she's back at the station?”_

Miller says with newfound hope and Luna shakes her head dejectedly.

_“I don’t think so, she hasn’t recovered yet.”_

The curly-haired woman says and Miller’s shoulders hunch forward in sadness, he thought that Lexa would be ready to come back by now. Miller knew Lexa’s injury was bad, he was there when she needed blood transfusions during the surgery and he was there when Bellamy offered to pick Lexa from the hospital in a wheelchair to take her somewhere out of town and although Lexa never told him where she was going they kept in touch, and they saw each other when she was in town. He sighs and grabs his coat from the chair and picks up his things when he has everything he looks at Luna once more.

_“I’m going then, I can still smell the scent of smoke on these clothes and I need a shower. Text me when you’re heading over to Redemption’s and I'll swing by on my way.”_

**

As the door of the bar opens Lianna looks up at it with a curious expression. The bar has a few patrons eating snacks after a long day of work but as usual at the beginning of the week the bar is calm. The older woman watches as a wheelchair moves past the threshold and her eyes shine with unshed tears, no matter how many times she has seen Lexa in it she thinks she will never get used to seeing her like that. The woman takes advantage of the dim light to dry her eyes as she moves from the inside of the counter and towards Lexa and her companion with a practiced smile.

_“Lexa, honey why didn't you tell us you were coming? Let me call Emori to prepare a room for you at home.”_

The woman says as she leans down to hug her niece and Lexa hugs her back with a sigh.

_“It wasn't planned and don't worry Luna texted me saying that I can stay at her apartment since the elevator of my building is still waiting to be fixed.”_

_“It’s typical of you to not say anything to me. I'm not that old Lexa, you could stay with us.”_

The woman admonishes Lexa with ease and Lexa blushes but smiles. For a moment she forgets about the wheelchair and just enjoys being in Lianna’s company. Then Lianna looks at Bellamy and smiles at the older Blake.

_“Bellamy, how are you my dear? Is this one giving you too much trouble?”_

The woman asks with a kind and teasing smile directed at Lexa and the brunette huffs and crosses her arms as a child would.

_“Not at all, she's actually quite surprising one of the best trip buddies I have ever had.”_

Bellamy says and Lexa smirks at her aunt. Over the course of the last two months, Lexa and Bellamy have made trips together from Boston to the cabin and vice-versa. The first trip was awkward for the first half-hour, Bellamy wasn't used to Lexa’s long minutes in silence and the former detective didn't have the patience for idle chats, they found common ground in music when Lexa asked Bellamy to change the radio station and when she landed on a rock blues one Bellamy took it as an opportunity to start a conversation.

_“Alright then, let me call Emori to swing by to see you.”_

Lianna says and Lexa smiles but shakes her head.

_“I already called her, she's on her way.”_

_“Okay then, let me settle you two at a table while you wait.”_

As Lianna leads the way she notices how carefully Bellamy maneuvers Lexa’s wheelchair. As a condition of having the license to open the place Lianna adjusted the bar to be prepared for people with disabilities but she couldn't foresee that Lexa would be one of its users. They reach the table and Bellamy adjusts Lexa to have a comfortable place at the table and then shrugs his coat off and takes a seat.

_“Can I get you something while you wait for Emori?”_

_“Luna and Raven are coming too, but I'll have a bottle of water.”_

Bellamy says and Lianna smiles at him and looks over at Lexa, the former detective sighs, the last time she had alcohol she drank too much and called Clarke but hung up almost as soon as the groggy blonde picked up the call around 2 am, that was a mistake she isn't up to do again.

_“I'll have water too.”_

Lexa says with a small voice and Lianna nods as she goes back to the counter. Bellamy looks at Lexa and shakes his head.

_“Since I'm the designated driver you can have something other than water Lexa._

_“And risk having these two-wheels taken off of me because of a DUI, no thanks.”_

The detective says with a smile and Bellamy chuckles. Joking about Lexa’s wheelchair has become a thing between them and Bellamy engages in the jokes for Lexa’s sake, it is a way of the brunette getting used to this new reality of hers.

_“I never thought I would see the day where Bellamy and Lexa would look so friendly sitting at the same table and laughing together.”_

Raven says with a genuine smile as she approaches the two friends and noticing how they laugh together. The Latina looks tired but she's still the same witty Raven that Lexa enjoys having around so much. Even if they argue from time to time especially over Lexa’s decision of leaving town, the Latina is now an important friend to Lexa.

Emori comes in right after Luna and Raven and they settle in with food and drinks. The conversation flows smoothly, Lexa asks Raven how she is doing in the job and the Latina happily tells her how things are going for her. The former detective listens to Raven with a smile of satisfaction as she thinks that convincing Indra and Luna that Raven would be a nice asset to their station was a right call.

As the night progresses Lexa asks Emori about her plans and her cousin beams with excitement over the fact that she applied to work in some law offices and she is getting interview calls from a few. Lexa lets herself enjoy the night with her friends learning about their new adventures and stories. As the dinner comes to an end the five people engage in an argument over who will pay the bill, Raven and Bellamy end up splitting the bill and move to the counter to pay as Emori excuses herself to go to the kitchen to see Murphy. And although they haven't made it official yet everyone knows that they are dating.

Luna takes this moment to talk with Lexa about her situation with Clarke and her plans for the future.

_“Does Clarke know you're in town?”_

The curly-haired detective asks and Lexa’s smile fades into a neutral expression.

_“I don't think so, I don't even know if Bellamy told her that he has been with me some weekends.”_

Lexa says looking over at Bellamy at the counter, the former detective is sure that Bellamy hasn't told Clarke about their friendship and Luna sighs.

_“You know that she would want to see you right? I mean, she's pissed at you but she needs you.”_

Luna says and Lexa clenches her jaw as she shakes her head looking at her unmoving legs.

_“She doesn't need me, I told her to move on and she did.”_

Lexa says between gritted teeth and Luna narrows her eyes at her thinking of why Lexa would say something so absurd, after all Clarke asked about the former detective earlier on in the day. The curly-haired detective sighs and looks at Raven.

_“Think what you want about that Lexa, but remember that Raven and Bellamy are Clarke's best friends and they can't even talk to her without lying to her.”_

Luna says and Lexa’s throat closes with an uncomfortable knot that she tries to swallow as memories of months ago come to her mind.

_**2 and half months ago**_

_“So you're saying you don't know what's wrong with me?”_

_Lexa says somewhat sharper than she intended and Abby sighs as she puts her hands in the pockets of her lab coat._

_“No, what I'm saying is that physically there's nothing wrong with you.”_

_“Then why can't I feel my legs Abby?”_

_Lexa asks and Abby’s heart breaks at the despair she can hear in the brunette’s voice. It has been two weeks since Lexa had her surgery and Clarke has already been released from the hospital. Lexa's recovery from the surgery has been a success; apart from her lack of mobility and feeling in her legs. As for the blonde, Clarke was released for a week now with a cast on her right hand but has been visiting Lexa every day, the brunette hasn’t told her yet about her legs but even Clarke can see that something is not right with the broody detective._

_“That's up for you and Doctor Becca to discuss and discover, Lexa.”_

_“Doctor Becca, Raven’s psychiatrist? How can she help me? I can't walk!”_

_Lexa says once more with some frustration and something unsettling lodges in her chest at the prospect of having once more to do therapy. Abby sighs and looks warmly at Lexa._

_“Lexa, since you woke up from the surgery the neurosurgeon and I have done a full examination on you, I'm sure you're tired of the poking and probing. We didn't find anything; so we must conclude that it is the trauma that's preventing or rather stopping you from walking. Doctor Becca is the best when it comes to traumas, I'm sure that you'll do fine with her as long as you allow Niylah to keep working with you too.”_

_Abby says in that motherly tone Lexa has now come to get used to, however before she can reply to the doctor, Abby’s phone rings and she looks at it._

_“I need to go but I'll come later with Niylah and Becca to check on you. Luna and Raven are outside, they want to see you but they can't stay long because you need to rest.”_

_Abby says and Lexa nods as she watches Abby open the door and signaling for the couple to enter. Luna and Raven eagerly walk inside the room and Lexa upon the news she got from Abby tries to tell them what's happening and what she decided._

_“Lexa, you can't be serious.”_

_Raven says harshly after listening to Lexa and Luna looks at her girlfriend, she has never seen Raven look so stern before._

_“I am and this is for the best.”_

_“Says who? You can't seriously think this is the best decision.”_

_“I can't walk Raven.”_

_Lexa says with frustration and Raven glares at her but stays silent._

_“But the cabin, Lexa, that can't be the right place for your recovery.”_

_Luna says trying to ease the tension and Raven nods at her words as their eyes land on Lexa._

_“My father stayed there after his car accident, you know it's fully prepared for someone in a wheelchair.”_

_Lexa says and Luna nods, she has been at the cabin many times before to know that it's true, Raven on the other hand doesn’t buy it one bit._

_“So what? You're just going there and that's it? What about Clarke?”_

_Raven says once more and Lexa looks at Luna who remains silent and waiting for Lexa’s answer and the broody brunette looks at Raven with stoic features._

_“She can't know where I'm going.”_

_“Fuck that Lexa, you know what? I'm not going to be a part of this; you want to leave then fucking leave but don’t ask me to lie about your whereabouts to my best friend. I won’t do it.”_

_As the Latina’s words are out of her mouth she glares at Lexa and then looks at Luna, and walks out of the room and Luna looks at Lexa with a blank expression._

_“I'll go and talk to her but she has a point Lexa, what you're asking of us, of her is too much. You're going to break Clarke's heart.”_

_Luna says and Lexa gulps down and tries not to cry, slowly she shakes her head and pinches her own legs with force not even blinking as she does so._

_“I’m doing this for her, Clarke deserves better.”_

_“Lexa, you said it yourself that the doctors still don't know why you're not feeling your legs. But they didn't say you won't walk again.”_

_“But I might not be able to walk and I won't be a burden on anyone, much less Clarke.”_

_Luna shakes her head and looks at the door, she can picture her girlfriend outside the doors pacing and fuming in anger._

_“Think this through Lexa, I'll be back later.”_

_Luna says and as soon as the door to her room is closed Lexa leans down into the pillows trying to move her toes with no avail. Silently the broody detective cries in frustration and sadness. She's going to be a cripple and despite what Abby told her (she told Luna only partially the truth); despite the fact that her exams came back normal Lexa doesn't think she will walk again._

_**_

_Outside the hospital room the corridor is almost empty if it wasn’t for a few nurses passing by and Raven leaning against a wall and pinching the bridge of her nose in thought as she inhales and exhales deeply. Luna takes a few steps and Raven sensing her presence opens her eyes._

_“Did she change her mind?”_

_“Not yet.”_

_Luna says softly as she takes Raven’s hands in hers and squeezes it softly. She can see the frustration in Raven’s eyes, not only over what Lexa told them about leaving town but because of the state she is in._

_“She's going to break Clarke's heart, just like Bellamy told me she would. And the worst part is that she's breaking her own heart as well.”_

_“She told me she doesn't want to be a burden but I think there's more to it.”_

_“How so?”_

_Raven asks and Luna sighs as she pulls Raven over to an empty waiting room and they both sit down on two chairs._

_“I might be getting out my league here, but Lexa always felt guilty for Costia’s murder, she never forgave herself for the fact she didn't take Costia home the night Cage killed her and now she thinks she put Clarke and Brett in danger. I don't know… We know that she has gone through several exams to try and find out what's causing her paralysis and the doctors haven't found a reason yet. What if it's not a physical condition but a psychological one? Lexa’s father stayed at the cabin when he had his car accident, Lexa helped him that time out of moral obligation but not love, maybe she thinks she deserves this and although she is nothing like her father, she thinks just like her father she deserves to be in the wheelchair. You’ve heard her, sounds like she is resigned with this.”_

_“But that doesn’t make sense, as far as I know Lexa’s father was abusive towards her and her mother, she got shot on duty to protect the one she cares about.”_

_“That’s true, but what if Lexa thinks she deserves this because she feels responsible for Cage taken Clarke? She shut down after Costia’s murder, I think she is doing it again.”_

_“What do we do then? This is fucked up babe.”_

_Raven says as her breathing goes erratic once more and Luna grabs her hand and kisses her to sooth the Latina’s frustrations and Raven sighs as she looks up at Luna._

_“I mean Lexa can't just ask me to lie to my best friend because she's too damn proud to accept Clarke's help, she will never be a burden on her, Clarke loves her, she already texted me twice to ask about Lexa and the only reason why she hasn't showed up here yet is because Abby is keeping her at her place and since she can't drive if she showed up here Abby would grill her.”_

_Raven’s words are only above a whisper and Luna’s heart breaks at the sight of her girlfriend like this, she's never seen the Latina so torn with something. They stay silent for some time and Luna squeezes Raven’s hand._

_“Let's wait to see what happens, maybe doctor Abby or Lianna can convince Lexa to see reason.”_

_Luna says and Raven nods as she leans onto Luna’s shoulder for comfort they stay silent for some time but eventually they decide to leave the hospital and Lexa alone with her thoughts._

**Present moment**

_“Has Bell texted yet?”_

Clarke asks when she joins Octavia in the living room and the younger Blake nods as she grabs her phone.

_“He said that he had already plans today but that we can meet up tomorrow for lunch.”_

_“Okay, so we have a meeting in the morning with Jaha but we'll be free after, we could have lunch here so we can corner him.”_

_“Corner him sounds awfully like an expression a cop would use. Roan is a bad influence on you.”_

_Octavia says with a teasing smile and Clarke chuckles feeling calmer after a nice warm shower._

_“Shut up.”_

Clarke says as she punches Octavia on the shoulder and the younger Blake looks at her with a curious expression.

_“What are you doing with Roan? Are you going to join the Kru like Raven or something?”_

Octavia asks and Clarke shrugs with a teasing smile and then looks at Octavia as she narrows her eyes.

_“Speaking of Raven, we should invite her too, we barely see her nowadays and I'm sure she will help us grilling Bellamy.”_

At the blonde's words the petite brunette nods in thought as she grabs her phone, despite the fact that she is still curious about Roan’s and Clarke’s activities she decides to drop the subject after all the blonde always gets awfully quiet and mysterious about it.

_“I'll text her to tell her that we're hosting a lunch tomorrow to grill Bellamy.”_

Octavia says with a smirk and Clarke chuckles because she knows that the Latina always loves to tease Bellamy. It takes longer than usual for Raven to respond but when she finally does she asks the younger Blake what has her brother done and that she will try to be at Octavia’s home the next day. And even if Octavia finds Raven’s text to be slightly off she links it to events that took place during the day and puts her phone away.

The two reporters settle on the couch with the TV on as background sound but they work on the list of tasks that they will have to go through with Jaha the next morning.

_“Do you think Jaha will want us to write about the court attack?”_

Octavia asks by the time they are finishing their list of subjects and after seeing how the online page was going, Clarke places her notebook and looks at her friend.

_“I guess he will if we want, I mean we were there so we know exactly what happened, and the fact that the Police haven't released a formal statement yet just makes the story more appealing.”_

Clarke says as she leans back on the couch after closing her laptop, she rubs her eyes and exhales a tired sigh. Even though it's not late she feels tired and ready to sleep, the younger Blake is ready to call it a day too, but she needs to go over this final subject with Clarke so they can be in sync the next morning.

_“Do you want to? I mean I saw how shaken up you were, I'm sure that even Jaha will understand if you want to sit this one out.”_

Octavia says carefully looking at Clarke and the blonde pinches the bridge of her nose as she thinks over her words and what she wants.

_“I'm not going to lie, today, when the bombs went off it was scary as hell, it triggered memories that I want to forget and for a moment I panicked, if it wasn't for Luna I would have taken longer to get out that courtroom. However the target was Nia’s trial, we knew that threats were being made and although we don't know what happened and why it happened today my gut is telling me that there is a story here.”_

Clarke stops to breathe and looks at the TV trying to organize her thoughts and then looks at Octavia again.

_“If there's a story, then I think we should be the ones writing about it, we haven't had a good story in weeks and our knowledge of Nia’s case is solid enough to do so. If there’s something bigger I want to know what it is.”_

_“You think that maybe she was working with someone bigger than her and that's why she was targeted?”_

Octavia asks and Clarke shrugs, they both know that Nia was powerful, Nia took advantage of her position in the Mayor's office to take money to fund her illegal activities but she could have been just the face of it or the name in the papers, or the link to the money. Nia having someone working with her, either above her or as equal is a believable theory.

_“I don't know, let's see how the meeting with Jaha goes tomorrow and then we see what we do about it.”_

Clarke says with a yawn and Octavia nods as she gets up from the couch at the same time she outstretches her arms in a lazy way.

_“Alright, well I'm going to sleep now, I feel like tomorrow will be a long day, between the meeting with Jaha and the lunch with Bell we're going to have a lot on our plate.”_

Octavia says and Clarke nods, she picks her phone from the coffee table and goes to her bedroom too, the day has been long, too long in the blonde’s opinion. Clarke walks inside the room and decides to pick an outfit for the next day, a routine of her that saves her some more minutes in bed in the mornings. After going through her wardrobe, she lays the clothes down on a chair next to a small desk she has and picks her pajamas, she does it and only notices the t-shirt she chose when she goes to the bathroom to brush her teeth and sees herself in the mirror. The blue faded logo and the gray shirt are a symbol that she refuses to let her past memories go.

After getting in the bed the blonde lies down and looks at the ceiling, the shirt doesn’t smell like Lexa anymore and her bed had seen another body since Lexa, thinking about it almost makes Clarke want to vomit, but what else could she have done? She plays with her phone and her thumb hovers over a number she knows well, but she won’t call her, Lexa told her to move on and although Clarke now knows she can’t do it, she also knows that Lexa won’t answer her calls, she never did. There was this one time though that her phone rang in the middle of the night which woke Clarke up to see Lexa’s name on her screen but when she answered the call all she could hear was muffled noise and soft breathing.

Despite how tired she feels Clarke stays awake a while longer, Lexa is in town and although Clarke is completely mad with her she can’t help but worry and think about all the things she would say to the green-eyed brunette if they saw each other. When sleep finally comes Clarke dreams of dazzling green eyes and long chestnut hair. An argument that turns into passionate kisses and touches and when the blonde wakes up in the middle of the night hot and bothered by it all, she curses Lexa’s name with all her will. Will she be able to forgive Lexa? Will they find their way back into each other’s lives? Refusing to let herself be consumed by the desire that lodged on the pit of her stomach the blonde rolls over in bed and closes her eyes once more trying to forget how good her dream was.


	3. Memories and fights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> Here we are with a new update.  
> Someone told me in the comments that we needed some fluff, and I do agree so this chapter ends on a happy note and I hope you enjoy it.  
> As for the chapter as a whole I don't have much to say except our beloved characters are being, how to put it? Stubborn? Yeah that works.  
> Once more I wanna thank you all for your comments and hits and kudos and I hope you enjoy this chapter! See you soon! :)

**Chapter 3 - Memories and Fights**

As the sun peeks through the curtains Lexa’s eyes flutter open. The former detective blinks and looks at the window, judging by the somewhat pink and orange glow of the rays of light, Lexa can tell that the sun is barely above the horizon which means that it is still early. The sound of whispered voices reaches her ears and Lexa sighs. The former detective can almost guess what's being said on the other side of the door and it's one of the reasons why she prefers to stay in the cabin rather than in the city. Bellamy offered to stay with Lexa at her place, but the fact that the elevator of her building keeps malfunctioning was reason enough to decline Bellamy’s proposal. Lexa thought briefly about staying at the house that Gustus left to her but the memories she has from that place with Gustus and Costia would haunt her at night and her nights are troubled enough already.

Silently but with some effort, the former detective moves on the bed pulling her legs down and placing her bare feet on the floor, a shiver courses through her but the brunette shrugs it off and pulls the chair closer enough to move towards it. The transition takes longer than Lexa would like but finally, the broody brunette is in the wheelchair and starts moving the wheels in the direction of the door.

She opens the door and pushes through it and with practiced ease reaches the kitchen where Raven and Luna are still talking in whispered voices. The Latina is the first to notice Lexa’s arrival and smiles at Lexa.

_“Good morning hotshot. We're just discussing the breakfast menu for today. Do you fancy anything special?”_

Raven asks trying to hide the fact that she was talking with Luna about Lexa and the former detective shrugs thankful for the fact that she is no longer the subject of the couple’s conversation.

_“I will have whatever you guys are having, but I would like to use the bathroom first if that's okay?”_

Lexa says somewhat awkwardly and Raven sighs, she's aware that this vulnerable and dependent side of Lexa was the reason why she pushed Clarke away. On some level Raven understands the brunette’s wishes, when Raven partially lost the mobility in her leg she also felt the same need to be independent and not to burden anyone, even though she always knew that she would regain some of her strength and that she never had the same needs as Lexa.

_“Okay, babe you'll cook while I give Lexa a hand with what she needs.”_

_“Raven!”_

Luna admonishes her girlfriend and the Latina just looks at her with a puzzled expression.

_“What? We've been talking about getting a dog sometime soon; this is the perfect opportunity to see how good I am with responsibilities.”_

_“Uh? You're getting a dog? You don't even live together!”_

Lexa says slightly baffled with the turn of the conversation and Raven smirks and looks at Luna.

_“Well, this can be a trial then, if I succeed I'll move in and we'll get a dog.”_

Raven says and Lexa shakes her head but chuckles while Luna remains with her eyes fixed on Raven. The curly-haired detective can't quite tell if Raven is being serious or not.

_“I’m sure I've been compared to worse things than a dog.”_

Lexa says trying to break the turmoil she can see in Luna’s eyes and Raven laughs at her.

_“Take this as a compliment hotshot you do look like a beautiful lost puppy, now let's go.”_

At the Latina’s words Luna looks over at Lexa to make sure her friend is okay with it, she takes a step further and looks at Raven and then at Lexa.

_“I can help you if you want though.”_

_“Jeez Luna, babe I'm not going to take advantage of hotshot here.”_

Raven says with a look of mock offense and Luna shakes her head.

_“This is exactly why I'm not sure if you should be allowed to have a dog, I'm not sure who would train who.”_

Luna says and Raven punches her lightly on the shoulder but looks at Lexa aware of the reason why Luna is making sure that Lexa is okay with all of this and the former detective laughs at the two of them. From Luna’s perpective is amazing to see her best friend laughing again after all since Lexa left the hospital she became very closed off.

_“Alright you can discuss your plans of having a dog later and Raven’s help will be fine, I'm sure that besides a genius she can be a hot nurse too.”_

Lexa says and Raven looks at her in bewilderment at the change in the former detective’s demeanor. Luna and Raven exchange a hopeful look and then Raven follows Lexa to the bathroom to help her in whatever she needs. The shower is tricky but Luna’s bathroom is spacious and the bathtub allows Lexa to take her bath in private. Raven is considerate of Lexa's needs and even if she feels the urge to help her more she just follows Lexa’s instructions. Half an hour later they are back in the kitchen where Luna sets the table with orange juice and pancakes for the three of them.

The breakfast goes smoothly; Luna’s pancakes are tasty as always and the three women fall into easy talk with Raven saying she should cook her famous Tortillas in the future. They don't talk about Clarke or Roan but by the time they are finishing the meal Raven looks at Lexa with curiosity in her eyes.

_“What are your plans for today?”_

The Latina asks as Lexa finishes her juice and looks at her.

_“Bellamy said he would pick me up, I know Roan doesn't want to see me but I think I will stop by the hospital and then I'll meet up with Uzac, to talk about the house.”_

_“Are there any potential buyers?”_

Luna asks knowing that when Lexa decided to go to the cabin she also told Brandon Uzac, the lawyer that took care of Gustus’ will that she wanted to sell the house and wanted him to take care of it for her. Lexa nods as Raven gets up from her spot and starts to clean the table.

_“He told me he had some good proposals and that he wanted me to look into them.”_

Luna nods at Lexa’s words and Raven listens in silence, despite her easy way of going and the fact that she is now, even more, closer than before with former detective, she knows her limits, Lexa’s past, her love for Gustus and her decision to sell the house is one of the subjects she doesn't feel like she should be interjecting on.

_“Well if it takes longer to sort this out you know you can stay here as long as you want.”_

Luna says calmly and Lexa nods thankfully for Luna’s care and support.

_“Thank you.”_

Lexa says genuinely and Luna smiles as Raven starts to do the dishes but looks at Lexa and Luna over her shoulder.

_“Do you have any idea of when Bellamy’s investigation is going to be over?”_

The Latina asks and Lexa and Luna share a knowing look, even if the curly-haired detective doesn't talk often with the older Blake she can assume why the IA investigation is dragging on for so long.

_“I’m sure it's going to be over quickly now, after all they have dragged it on for long enough. They can't have Bellamy suspended indefinitely.”_

Lexa says and Luna nods as Raven finishes the dishes and dries her hands on the towel. The Latina turns around and looks at Lexa and at Luna, despite the fact that she's enjoying having Lexa around they are running late for work.

_“When is Bellamy coming up to pick you?”_

Raven asks scratching the back of her neck and Lexa shrugs as she looks at her phone.

_“He texted me earlier telling me that he would come as soon as he could. But you guys can go; I don't think I need a babysitter.”_

Lexa says with a smile, granted that Luna’s house is not totally equipped so that Lexa can easily move around but the former detective had already taken a shower and changed clothes which is usually the most difficult part of her morning routine.

_“You're sure? I have to take Judge’s Pike statement with Chief Indra and then we have to go to the hospital to take Nia’s since the judge requested it to be someone other than Roan, Raven has to work on the samples from the bombs but I'm sure Miller can fill my spot.”_

_“No, there’s no need, it is fine you can go.”_

_“Okay, oh and speaking of Miller, he says he's sorry for not being able to see you yesterday I think Jackson had a problem at his place and Miller went there to help.”_

_“Those two are very close.”_

Lexa says and Raven smirks from her spot at the kitchen sink.

_“Jackson has a huge crush on him since forever.”_

Raven says knowingly and Lexa and Luna look at her but remain silent.

_“Anyways if you need anything just call me, I'm needed at the station later on because the FBI is sending a team to work with us.”_

Luna says and Lexa narrows her eyes at her friend.

_“I thought this was our jurisdiction.”_

The former detective says and Luna looks at her with a smile, Lexa still sees herself as a part of the Kru and maybe that's a good indication for the future.

_“It is, Chief Indra, assured me of that, but with Roan’s bond to Nia and the fact that her investigation was conducted by the FBI, they want to keep an eye on it. Besides, it seems they might have information about this case.”_

_“I hope they send cheekbones and Amazon.”_

Raven pipes up as she re-enters the kitchen with a backpack and Lexa looks at her with a confused expression.

_“Who?”_

_“Don't listen to her; she thinks she is good with nicknames.”_

Luna says and Raven looks at her placing her hand over her heart as if she was deeply hurt.

_“I'll have you know that I'm quite good at that, and the nicknames fit perfectly, even Aden calls Anya cheekbones and as for Echo, seriously though have you seen her? She could be making a movie with Gal Gadot, so yeah Amazon, thank you very much. Now let's go coz Monty already texted me twice. Yo hotshot you're sure you'll be good?”_

Raven says in one go and Luna shakes her head at her girlfriend’s antics, Lexa looks at both of them with a smile, maybe staying a while longer in Boston wouldn't be so bad. The former detective nods and Raven makes an acknowledging sound and leans down to hug Lexa.

_“Don't go back to the cabin again without telling us.”_

The Latina says and Lexa nods, still slightly surprised by the hug. With that the couple leaves and Lexa sighs as she finds something to busy herself with while she waits for Bellamy.

**

The sun is shining in the clear blue sky by the time Clarke enters her car with Octavia. Both reporters have their notes and are ready to talk about them with Jaha. The online page is doing well and due to the increasing number of viewers, Arkadia has been getting proposals of ads that will help in increasing the budget. Clarke and Octavia have been doing a great job on the page, after Lexa’s departure from town Clarke focused on the page and her work and it is paying off.

Even knowing that everything is going well at work and that she is fulfilled with it, something is still bothering her at the back of her mind or rather someone. Lexa! Lexa is in town and although the brunette was always on Clarke's mind, the fact that she saw her the day before just kind of caught off guard.

_“Clarke, are you ok?”_

Octavia asks when the blonde parks the car outside Arkadia’s building and sighs. Clarke looks around and then at Octavia who is looking at her with a worried expression after a whole trip in silence.

_“Yeah, I was just thinking.”_

_“About the meeting with Jaha or…”_

_“About work.”_

Clarke cuts off Octavia’s words imagining where the petite brunette was probably going with her question. Octavia sighs and gets out of the car in silence; Clarke does the same locking the car and falling into step with her partner and best friend.

_“Roan asked me if I wanted to see Lexa.”_

The blonde says knowing she was harsh before and Octavia looks at her.

_“What did you tell him?”_

_“That I would think about it but for now we have this meeting with Jaha and I don't want to think about her.”_

Clarke says as they step inside the elevator to go to their floor and Octavia nods. Once inside the Arkadia room they easily spot Monroe waiting for them. The girl with short hair and easy smile checks her wristwatch and grins at both reporters.

_“Just in time.”_

Monroe says as she finishes her coffee and tossing it in the bin and Octavia nods with a smirk.

_“Princess here woke up early.”_

Octavia says as she bumps her shoulder with Clarke's and the blonde is about to make a retort when Jaha steps out of his office with a smile.

_“Ladies, I'm glad to see that both of you are okay, that was quite a scare yesterday. Please come in.”_

The three women walk in as Jaha holds the door open for them and soon after they are sitting on the available chairs and Jaha leans back in his own looking at Clarke and Octavia with keen eyes.

_“Before we start I want to make sure you are alright. I mean I saw the images and it seemed that all hell broke loose in that courthouse, Nia and a few civilians were brought to the hospital and I tried to contact your mother, Clarke, but she didn’t pick up, I assume she was busy. If you need a day I'm sure we can postpone our meeting and Monroe will take care of things.”_

Jaha says as Monroe nods and Octavia and Clarke share a surprised look.

_“I can assure you that we're fine. I was inside the room when it happened, I won't lie sir, it was confusing and scary but we are fine.”_

Clarke assures and the man nods and looks at her.

_“Well then, let's start by addressing the pink elephant in the room. Are you two willing to work on the court case? I mean, next weekend when the paper is out this has to be one of the subjects in it, and you two were there so if you want it, the story is yours.”_

Jaha says and Octavia looks at Clarke as the blonde inhales deeply and looks at Jaha, both reporters have already talked about it so their decision is made.

_“We are; we agree that we have enough knowledge to pursue this story and we can also make daily updates of it until the paper comes out.”_

Clarke says and Jaha beams with joy. After that the meeting goes smoothly, together with Monroe the reporters and the Chief Editor go over the best subjects for the online page and some matters that will for sure be of the interest of their viewers.

An hour later the meeting is over and Clarke is in need of a coffee and some time to breathe. As the blonde walks out of Jaha’s office she checks her phone to see a text from Bellamy.

**Bell:** Hey princess. My sis invited me for lunch today at your place. I'll be busy till 1 pm, does that work for both of you or do you want to re-schedule?

Clarke reads the message twice as she thinks about a reply, she walks over to her desk and places her things down, and after putting down her backpack and notebook she takes out her wallet and walks over to the vending machine placed close to the floor to ceiling windows that allows her to have a nice view of the city. As she picks up her coffee Octavia approaches and looks at her.

_“What's going on?”_

The younger Blake asks and Clarke shrugs.

_“Bellamy texted me, he said he will be busy but he can meet us at home around 1 pm.”_

Clarke says and Octavia leans on at the wall and looks out the window, she sighs before looking at Clarke again.

_“You're assuming he is with Lexa.”_

The petite brunette says wisely and Clarke takes a sip of her coffee and looks at the view before her.

_“I mean besides that and the gym there's not much he can do.”_

_“Yeah, with the suspension he doesn't have many options of things to do apart from being at home playing games.”_

Octavia says and Clarke closes her eyes taking a deep breath, the blonde can't shake the guilt she feels over Bellamy’s suspension. Although the rookie told her she shouldn't feel guilty about it and that everything was going to be alright the fact is that he has been off duty for almost three months now and he is being investigated by the Internal Affairs for being with her that tragic day. Upon the blonde's silence Octavia takes a sip of her coffee and looks at Clarke, the younger Blake is aware that Clarke is dealing with her traumas through therapy, the blonde wasn't very keen on the idea but Abby managed to convince her and Octavia is thankful for it although she isn’t sure of how the therapy is going when it comes to Clarke’s guilt about Bellamy’s suspension.

_“Hey, don't beat yourself up over it, Bell says it's going to be fine and Lincoln told me that these kind of investigations always take time. He mentioned that maybe there's a hidden agenda in their work.”_

That gets Clarke's attention and the blonde turns to face Octavia.

_“What do you mean?”_

_“I don't know much, but according to Lincoln it's not the first time the Internal Affairs have taken aim at the Intelligence Kru, I don't know, judging by what Lincoln said it's because some male officers don't accept that the 13th station has a woman in charge, and that she's in charge of the Kru.”_

Octavia says and Clarke sighs, she's still mad at Lexa but the knowledge of this new information is disturbing. The Intelligence Kru is part of the brunette’s life, it's the work of Indra’s life and Gustus’ legacy, the idea that her actions on that dramatic day when she agreed to meet a source that she suspected could be the killer might be a possible reason of Lexa’s team to be in danger only adds more guilt to her heavy heart. Octavia finishes her coffee and looks at Clarke.

_“Hey…”_

Octavia says softly as she squeezes Clarke's shoulder and the blonde looks at her friend.

_“I know what you're thinking, but don’t dwell on it, beating yourself up over it won't do you any good. Lincoln is confident that Bellamy will be back at work and the Kru will be cleared of any suspicions they have on them.”_

At Octavia’s words the blonde nods unconvinced but sighs thankful for Octavia’s calm assurances. The blonde finishes her coffee too and silently they walk over to their desks. It's only minutes later on when both of them are typing that Octavia stops her movements and looks at Clarke, the blonde is focused on something with her earbuds in and Octavia rolls her chair over to the blonde's desk and taps her on the shoulder.

_“Did you reply to Bellamy?”_

_“Oh shit, I forgot. What do you want to do?”_

Clarke asks and Octavia shrugs and looks at Clarke's screen laptop to have an idea of her work and how long it will take to have it done.

_“It's your call, I'm fine with whatever you decide, I have some photos to choose for your piece but it won't take long.”_

_“I really want to know what Bell is doing with Lexa. I'll finish this and go through the other subjects to be uploaded and then we can go. If Bell is free at 1 pm that will give us time to prepare lunch. Is Raven coming?”_

Clarke asks and Octavia shrugs as she looks over her shoulder to her desk and moves her chair back to her desk to pick up her phone.

_“Ray said she didn't know if she could make it but let me text her and ask.”_

At Clarke's nod both reporters type short texts on their phones and send them and in sync both focus their attention back to their tasks.

**

Luna and Raven walk inside the station building hand in hand and Luna takes off her sunglasses and looks at the Sergeant behind the front desk.

_“Good morning Sergeant Plat.”_

Raven greets her with a smile and the woman looks at them with a smile.

_“Good morning ladies. Luna the Chief wants to see you, she's already upstairs.”_

Olivia Plat says and Luna nods, the curly-haired detective is still slightly taken aback by how pleasant the older woman is with Raven. Sergeant Olivia had some doubts about having a civilian without training working within the station. But after Raven’s first call with the bomb squad Olivia's doubts were assuaged, despite the fact that the Latina has to be on the scene sometimes the agreement with her stated that the young woman had a primary goal: to give assistance to the team on the field and therefore she would work in a safe environment, and she would only have to participate in on-site actions as last resort.

The courthouse situation was one of those last resort situations and the Latina handled herself nicely but even before in her physical tests she showed Indra and Plat that she was capable of the job. And although Plat is known for her strict behavior, the woman was warmly pleasant towards Raven which Luna finds surprising but is thankful for.

_“Okay, babe, go and do your badass thing with Chief Indra and I'll go check on Monty and then I'll be heading over to the lab to work with Fox.”_

Raven says while Luna inserts the code to open the security gate that protects the floor of the Intelligence Kru of being visited by people without authorization. The curly-haired detective nods and is about to climb the stairs when Raven squeezes her hand making Luna turn and face the Latina and Raven smiles as she leaves a gentle kiss on the detective’s lips causing Luna to blush and look around for prying eyes.

_“Oh by the way, Clarke and Octavia invited me to have lunch with them and Bell today.”_

_“Isn't Bellamy going to be with Lexa though?”_

Luna asks and Raven shrugs as she picks up her phone to read Octavia’s messages again.

_“O said Bell is going to be free around 1 pm, so I think he already knows when Lexa won’t need him anymore.”_

_“Well, then if I’m free around that time I'll see if Lexa needs company for lunch. But what is this sudden lunch about?”_

_“I don't know babe, O told me she want to grill Bell about something, and I’m assuming it's because of_ _his suspension, you guys have been awfully quiet about it, I think O and Clarke want the full picture about it, besides Bell never told Clarke about Lexa, so what else could it be?”_

Raven says with a shrug and Luna looks at her, she can see her girlfriend is still somewhat apprehensive.

_“Are you worried? I mean worried that Clarke will ask you about Lexa?”_

_“I’m tired of avoiding Clarke. I miss being with my friends and Lexa is in town now so I'm just going to enjoy this lunch and not think about it.”_

Raven says as the people pass by them and Luna sighs, in these last three months Raven has been busy with adjusting to her new work. Adjusting to the new schedules of work, and going from Luna’s to Raven’s place has been consuming but it is true that Raven hasn't been with Clarke and Octavia much and Luna knows exactly why: the Latina was afraid to tell Clarke what she knows about Lexa and her whereabouts. The Latina never agreed with Lexa’s abrupt departure to the cabin but at some level, she understood Lexa’s desires and respected them.

_“Yeah, go and enjoy but now I'll really need to go or Chief Indra will kill me.”_

Raven nods and pecks Luna’s lips once more, the curly-haired detective smiles and looks around with a slight blush, not because she is embarrassed of her relationship with the Latina but because she's still not used to have these shows of affection in her workplace.

After climbing the stairs and walking inside the Kru common room Luna sighs as she looks around: Miller is at his desk and Aden has his backpack on the floor near the desk he is using, Roan’s desk is still empty and Lexa’s desk is basically how she left it. Luna moves towards her desk greeting Nathan on her way and before she has time to place her things down Indra is opening the office door and looks at her.

_“Good morning Chief.”_

_“Good morning Luna, you don't need to sit down, Judge Pike agreed to meet us in half an hour in a bakery close to the courthouse.”_

Luna and Miller share a look and Luna clears her throat looking at Indra again.

_“A bakery?”_

Chief Indra tries not to laugh at Luna's bewildered expression as she nods her head, having dealt with Judge Pike before nothing surprises her much about him anymore.

_“He doesn't want to come here and his favorite office in the courtroom is still unavailable so he asked us to meet him at this bakery he usually goes to.”_

Luna shakes her head with amusement but grabs what she will need and follows Indra. The Chief stops by Miller's desk and looks at him.

_“Call us if something happens.”_

_“Yes, Chief.”_

Nathan says and Indra nods, when both women are out of the room the man sighs and looks at the pile of papers on his desk, it would be great to have Lexa and Roan around to help him.

**

The sunlight is bright and warm and Boston is alive with people walking around and cars driving by. Lexa takes a moment to look around and sighs; as much as she enjoys the calm and the nature around her in the cabin she misses the hectic rush of living in the city. The car stops at a red light and Bellamy looks at Lexa’s pensive expression.

_“You're okay over there?”_

The older Blake asks and Lexa nods as she looks at him and gives him a half-smile.

_“Yeah, I’m just thinking.”_

_“You're having second thoughts about selling the house?”_

Bellamy inquires softly and Lexa shakes her head as the traffic light goes green and the car starts moving again.

_“No, not really, I have good memories there, I guess in the Kru we all have them, but I can't see myself living there.”_

_“But you're thinking if it would be nice to have your own place in Boston...”_

Bellamy trails off and Lexa wonders how she became so easy to read even to people outside of her old group of friends.

_“Yeah, I enjoy the cabin, but I never thought of living there. I might have Woods in my name but I'm a city kind of person.”_

Lexa says in a small voice and Bellamy nods as he signals his way towards the parking lot of the building where Lexa agreed to meet the lawyer.

_“I don't know what your plans are for the future and I know it's not my business but maybe if you get a nice offer for this house you can look for places and get one in Boston.”_

Bellamy says and Lexa nods, the former detective had thought about it too. The older Blake parks his truck and looks at Lexa with a smile.

_“You're ready for this meeting?”_

The man asks and Lexa smiles and looks at him.

_“More than you, I think.”_

The brunette teases and Bellamy shakes his head with a smile.

_“I’m not the biggest fan of lawyers; it’s not my fault that the ones I've met so far were arrogant assholes.”_

Bellamy says with a shrug of his shoulders and Lexa nods with a chuckle, when she first told Bellamy about her idea of selling the house but having a lawyer taking care of it for her, the man had some reservations. It's not like Bellamy knows a lot of lawyers but he met a few when he was younger. When his mother passed away and he tried to become Octavia’s guardian Bellamy met a couple of lawyers, no one agreed to help him pro bono and if it wasn't for Jake Griffin the Blake siblings would have spent the few savings their mother left and would have ended up being separated anyways.

They enter the building in silence and when the elevator stops on the third floor Lexa takes a deep breath and nods once mostly to herself. They enter the floor where the office is and Lexa looks around, the building’s architecture on the outside was the average and typical design of the old buildings in Boston, red bricks and reasonably large windows, however, the interior of the office is very well decorated with a fancy touch of the wooden furniture that is adorned with expensive decorations and some good looking leather books that Lexa and Bellamy can only assume are law-related. In front of the two elevators a few steps further forward is a wooden desk with two assistants a boy and a girl both around their early twenties and behind them a mahogany wall with big gold letters with the “Uzac/Lockhart & Assocs.” logo, which are the names of both of the lawyers who formed the office.

The young woman looks up from her laptop and smiles at the newcomers as Lexa rolls her wheelchair in the front desk’s direction.

_“Good morning! Can I help you?”_

The young brunette woman asks and Lexa smiles at her in greeting.

“Good morning, yes, we're here to see Mister Brandon Uzac.”

As soon as Lexa speaks the young woman looks at the screen of her laptop and then at Lexa again.

_“You must be Miss Alexandria Woods, the 10 am appointment.”_

_“Yes.”_

Lexa says with a formal nod and the young woman picks up the phone dialing a number and frowns a few seconds later placing it on the desk again.

_“Mister Uzac is still on a conference call but I'm sure he will be done soon, please come with me and he will see you shortly.”_

The young woman says and Lexa and Bellamy smile at her. The woman taps on her colleague’s shoulder to get his attention while he is taking a call, the young man turns to her holding his phone and she whispers a few words at him and he nods. As they walk forward in the large office Lexa takes notice of a common room with four other people in it and a couple of vacant desks. She can assume by their outfits and their stressed-out faces that they are junior lawyers. Bellamy and Lexa are lead to an adjacent office of reasonable size, it has one big television on a wall, a big window looking out onto the city and a large glass door that the young woman opens for Lexa and Bellamy and they step in. Once inside Lexa’s eyes take her surroundings with interest, there's a small round table in the middle with some magazines and journal papers and a shelf with more books on than Lexa can count.

_“Can I offer you something, a coffee or water or some snacks while you wait?”_

The girl asks with a pleasant and nice tone of voice and Lexa looks at Bellamy who shakes his head.

_“No, thank you, we're good.”_

_“Alright if you need something just call me, I'm Theresa by the way. I'm sure Mister Uzac will call you right away.”_

_“Thank you, Theresa.”_

Lexa says once more and the girl nods and walks out of the room leaving Lexa and Bellamy alone, the former detective looks through the glass walls, in the opposite side of their room are two large offices, one belongs to Uzac and the other to his associate. In the middle the junior lawyers are working, and two of them are having a passionate conversation about some papers on their desks and Lexa smiles; she can picture her cousin Emori working in this kind of environment.

It doesn't take more than ten minutes for a man with a bright smile and a pristine dark blue suit to open the door and step in.

_“Alexandria, my dear, I'm sorry I've made you come here and wait.”_

Brandon Uzac says as he shakes Lexa’s hand and then looks at Bellamy.

_“It's fine Uzac; this is my friend Bellamy Blake.”_

_“It’s nice to meet you sir.”_

Bellamy says shaking his hand with Uzac’s and the man smiles and shakes his head.

_“Please call me Uzac or Brandon. I'm sorry that I have made you come into the office, but I have several appointments and I couldn't leave the office.”_

_“We understand Uzac.”_

Lexa says and Bellamy is slightly surprised with the casual tone between the two of them. Brandon smiles and leads the way to his office as he explains why he called Lexa. Lexa talks with ease with the man, it was unknown to her but Gustus and Uzac were childhood friends, and despite the fact the lawyer never met Lexa until Gustus’ death he had heard of her for many years, and it didn't take long for the man to see why Gustus was so fond of her. They enter the office and Uzac grabs a folder case and takes a sit on the couch to be at eye level with Lexa and invites Bellamy to do the same. The casual tone of the man and the attention he spends on Lexa doesn't go unnoticed by Bellamy who feels relieved by the man’s posture.

Half an hour later Lexa and Bellamy have read and heard Uzac’s thoughts about each proposal. The lawyer made sure to point out every pros and cons of each one and assured Lexa she had time to think and decide about what to do.

_“So how do you know that the highest proposals are the dangerous ones to accept?”_

Bellamy asks after reading the last notes Lexa passed onto him and Uzac smirks at him as he leans back on his couch.

_“You’ve brought a careful friend with you Alexandria, that’s wise of you. You see Bellamy; it is our politics in the office to have a private investigator working with us, since we are two lawyers and we have a few junior lawyers too and too many cases to handle, we actually have more than one investigator. I actually mentioned it to Alexandria in our first meetings; I told her that we could use someone with her expertise in the office. Anyways, I was a friend of Gustus’ for a long time, I know the potential of his house, its value and due to its location I could assume it would get several proposals, I would be personally disappointed in myself if I let Alexandria sell the house to less dignified people or suspicious buyers at the least. So I asked one of our investigators to do a background check on each proposal and the people behind it.”_

_“I see, so you’re worried about how these higher bidders will pay the house?”_

Bellamy asks as he leans further in interest and Brandon nods his head at him as he looks at Lexa.

_“I really like this one here, Alexandria; you should bring him to our next meeting too. But to answer to your question Bellamy, I’m not just worried about the payment, obviously, that is an important factor, but I’m also concerned about the use the possible buyers have in mind for the house, you see I’ve dealt with several types of people in my years of practice and sometimes the ones you suspect the least are the ones who have a hidden agenda. In this case, the higher proposals come from people who can’t really explain where they get their money from. This presents two problems for me: one I can only assume that part of their income comes from less legal activities, and I don’t think Gustus would have wanted to sell his house to this people as I assume Alexandria won’t either, and the second is that having their money coming from illegal activities we can’t be assured that they will pay everything. Now, obviously we can have a sort of back door with any deal, but even though we get one, we will have to go through mediation and mediation in these cases can take a while to be settled and that will delay any possible future sale.”_

Uzac calmly explains and Lexa nods as she absorbs the man’s explanation and advice.

_“So you think I should accept less than the last two proposals? I mean the house is spacious and in a nice part of town, I don’t know much about it but I think that usually increases the value.”_

Lexa asks then after a few seconds in silence and the man smiles kindly at her.

_“Yes and no, it’s your call at the end of the day, but what I think is that you should consider looking into the proposals of a lesser value and take into consideration that these people seem trustworthy of having Gustus’ house. We can always negotiate not only the value of it but also the payment.”_

Lexa and Bellamy discuss a few more details with Brandon Uzac and the man seems pleased with the fact that both friends are insightful. Lexa gathers all the information Uzac has on the possible buyers and tells Uzac that she will look them over carefully before making a decision. The man nods and they agree that when Lexa is ready she will call him to schedule a new meeting.

When they are both outside the building, Bellamy asks Lexa if she will need anything else and the former detective just tells him that he can drop her at Redemption’s Bar, he nods as he looks over to his watch to make sure that he still will have time to go grocery shopping and then go to Clarke’s house. Thinking about it and looking at Lexa’s pensive expression beside him in the car leaves Bellamy slightly uncomfortable but if Lexa notices the way Bellamy tenses when he checks his phone she stays silent about it. This is one of the things she likes about Bellamy; they are both capable of respecting each other’s silences and space.

**

Raven and Bellamy arrive at Clarke’s and Octavia’s place more or less at the same time and apologize for their delay. The table is already set and Clarke is finishing cooking the meal. They exchange pleasantries and gather around the table. Octavia asks both of the guests what they want to drink and they both chose juice over any alcoholic beverage. Clarke, however, chooses to have a glass of wine and Octavia joins her. For some reason, they both feel like they will need it.

The lunch starts smoothly and easily, Octavia asks about Raven’s work and how she is and the Latina tells her friends that she is enjoying this new chapter in her life. Clarke listens to Raven in a respectful silence as she ponders the Latina’s words. At first, the blonde was concerned that Raven’s trauma could become worse in the environment Raven finds herself in, in fact, Abby and Becca have had the same worries too, but surprisingly the police consultor had worked through her traumas well enough to accept the job and is able to compartmentalize them, the job gave her a purpose and that brought a sense of moving forward from what happened in the X-Factory.

Despite the fact that Raven talks lightly about her job Bellamy can sense some tension in the air, especially when Clarke looks at him, they are halfway through their meal when the older Blake has had enough of Clarke's sideways glances towards him. He takes a bite of the food and a sip of his juice and then looks at the blonde with a calm but curious gaze.

_“Alright, it's not like I'm not grateful for this impromptu lunch with you guys but what's going on? Why are we having this lunch in the middle of the week?”_

Bellamy asks and Clarke scoffs and glares at him which makes Bellamy’s suspicions grow higher.

_“Since when are you and Lexa friends?”_

The blonde asks bluntly and Bellamy looks at her and at Octavia who nods and finally at Raven who seems to be just as caught off guard as Bellamy himself.

_“I don't know what you're talking about.”_

Bellamy says and Clarke bristles as she places her fork on the plate and looks across the table at him.

_“Don't bullshit me Bell, I saw you leaving the hospital with her yesterday.”_

The blonde says and Bellamy leans back in his chair and passes one hand through his hair a nervous habit he has that doesn't go unnoticed by Clarke.

“She was in town and since everyone was working she asked me to drive her around. I know of her limitations so I helped her when I could.”

The man says as Raven looks at him and Clarke scoffs in annoyance.

_“Don't fucking lie to me Bellamy. I asked Roan and he told me she came to town because of what she saw on the news. I'm not stupid, for you to be driving Lexa around; you had to be the one picking her up from wherever hole she ran to.”_

Clarke says bitterly and Bellamy widens his eyes at the blonde's outburst. Granted that he knew that keeping such a secret from her would come and bite him in the ass sooner or later, but he did the best he could in a shitty situation.

_“Clarke, calm down.”_

Raven says placing one hand on the blonde's forearm and Clarke jerks away and glares at her.

_“Don't patronize me Ray; you are my friends, not hers.”_

_“It's not that simple.”_

Bellamy says with a sigh and Clarke looks at him dead in the eye.

_“Of course it is, she fucking left me, she simply lied to me about her feelings and you decide to drive her around and lie to me right to my face? What the fuck? What the actual fuck Bell? I’m not stupid and Lexa might be a fucking jerk and a liar but if I know one thing is that if Lexa trusts you enough to let you know where she is it’s because you two are close. I can't believe you knew all along and didn't tell me about her. How could you side with her?”_

_“Clarke, I don't need to justify my actions to you. This is not a war, for me to choose sides on.”_

Bellamy says harshly as he pushes his plate away suddenly not feeling hungry anymore and Octavia looks at him as if he had committed treason. Clarke laughs bitterly and shakes her head.

_“So you went from hating her to adoring her just because the poor thing is in a wheelchair? You decided to be friends with a fucking coward that ran away when things got hard just because she doesn't know how to deal with some shit?”_

Clarke says as her voice gets a tone higher and her face turns red in rage. Something settles unpleasantly in Raven’s stomach and she pushes her plate away, slamming her hand down on the table causing all eyes to turn to her and then gets up from her chair so quickly that it makes a loud noise.

_“You know what Clarke? I'm done with yours and Lexa’s shit. Lexa might be many things but a fucking coward is not one of them!”_

Clarke and Octavia look at Raven and the blonde's eyes bulge in fury.

_“What's that supposed to mean? Did you know where she was all this time too? Did she get you this job at the station and that's why you're so fucking devoted to her?”_

Clarke says, and even if she will regret her actions and words later, right now she is blind with anger.

_“You know what Clarke? Fuck you! You called us here to ambush us, but if you really wanted to find Lexa you would have done so. Instead of putting your mind to work on that what did you do? You decided to screw Lexa’s physical therapist.”_

Raven says and Clarke looks at her with a baffled expression, the Latina looks at her bitterly and looks at Bellamy who has gone pale and mute and then Raven’s eyes pass briefly over on Octavia and settle on Clarke again.

_“Yeah, I know about that, Lexa knows too, she was the one who told me. And now you come here and play the victim with us. Do you know what you are? You're a selfish bitch that can't look past herself. Thank you for this lovely lunch but I'm out. Bell, you're coming?”_

The Latina says, and the new information leaves Bellamy in shock and petrified in his chair, granted this is not the first time the Latina used harsh words with any of them, but something about this time feels different, the things she said about Clarke and Lexa’s physical therapist feel like knives in Clarke’s soul and even Bellamy can see the hurt and anger behind the stormy sea that are Clarke's eyes. Raven storms out of the apartment and Bellamy silently does the same. Octavia tries to reach for Clarke but before she can say or do anything the blonde seeks refuge in her bedroom.

**

Bellamy runs to the outside of the building and reaches Raven who is walking fast to her car. The man calls out to her and the Latina turns around to look at him clearly still pissed off with the latest events.

_“Ray, hold up. Don't you think you were a bit harsh with Clarke back there?”_

The man asks confused, although he knows Raven has a fiery temper, he can't make much sense of what Raven said about Clarke and Lexa’s physical therapist.

_“I might have lost my temper there but I didn't tell any lies.”_

The Latina says with a deep sigh and Bellamy looks at her still confused.

_“What you said about Clarke and…”_

_“Niylah, yeah Clarke and Niylah had a thing, and do you want to hear how I know? Lexa told me, Lexa called Niylah about their appointment and it was early in the morning and when Niylah picked up the call Lexa heard Clarke's voice.”_

The Latina says and it's not hard for Bellamy to put two and two together and do the math. The only reason for Clarke to be with Niylah so early is if they spent the night together. The man shakes his head in bewilderment and Raven lets out a bitter laugh.

_“I’m not judging Clarke for her one night stands, I'm not a hypocrite but don't you think that if Clarke wanted to find Lexa she would have done so?”_

_“What do you mean?”_

Bellamy asks and Raven leans on her jeep as she looks at Bellamy’s expectant face.

_“I mean Clarke is a reporter, she digs up information for a living. She could easily check properties and information under the Woods’ name and would have found the cabin. And she didn't, and I get it, she was pissed at Lexa, she told Clarke to move on and so she did, with Niylah or tried to. But we both know that our princess is still hooked up on hotshot. If Clarke wanted to find Lexa she could have easily asked Lianna where she was. I mean she didn't know we know where Lexa is and Clarke wouldn't go to Roan and Luna, she wouldn't want them to betray Lexa’s trust. But Lianna, we both know Lexa’s aunt never agreed with Lexa in the first place. If Lianna had any hopes that Clarke could bring Lexa back she would tell Clarke even if that meant going against Lexa’s wishes.”_

The Latina says calmly and Bellamy nods in understanding as he leans back on Raven’s car closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose in thought.

_“This is messed up.”_

_“No matter how messed up it is, Clarke shouldn’t have just ambushed us like this. It's fucking unfair and kind of low.”_

Raven says and Bellamy shakes his head still processing the events as memories of the past come to his mind.

_**A little over 2 months ago**_

_It has been 3 weeks since Lexa was shot and had surgery. 3 weeks in a hospital bed and a lot of time to think things over. The detective sighs as she looks around in boredom, she has been out of the room with Luna, Raven, and Roan but she wants more. However, her legs are still not working and Lexa is drowning in a sort of depression and impotence with it all. Clarke had been coming by almost every day but for the last few days, Lexa had declined her visits. Lexa had come to a conclusion, a difficult one, but is one she believes is for the best for the blonde._

_A knock on the door brings Lexa back to the present and she looks up to see a somewhat reserved Bellamy peeking through the door as Lexa adjusts her legs to lean back on the pillows. The detective nods at Bellamy and the man walks into the room with careful steps._

_“You called me?”_

_“Yes, please come in Bellamy and take a seat, I want to talk to you before Luna and Raven arrive.”_

_Lexa says as the man walks further in the room and looks at Lexa’s serious expression._

_“Look Lexa, if this is about what I said when Clarke was taken, I want to apologize for it.”_

_“Bellamy…”_

_“No Lexa, hear me out, I know I’ve done it before when you woke up from your surgery, but I want to make sure you know I meant it. I was out of my mind, I took my frustrations in myself on you, and I get that you’re being the bigger person here, you could shout and scream at me and you didn’t, you took those punches in silence and that just shows how much of an asshole I was. It was never your fault, none of it, Cage was a sick bastard and the diaries we recovered from his place prove that. I was wrong and naïve in agreeing to Clarke’s plan, to begin with, and then I was an idiot to take my eyes off of her.”_

_“Bellamy, I’m not going to say you didn’t make mistakes, but we all do, it’s part of living, I should have taken Costia home that night, I’ll never forgive myself for not having done so, but Cage would have gotten to her one way or another. My first mistake was to let Costia into my life, to care for her and put her in danger and that’s a mistake I won’t do again.”_

_Lexa says and Bellamy looks at her at a loss of words after what the detective just said._

_“What do you mean?”_

_Bellamy asks and by the way Lexa inhales deeply and her jawline tenses with the question he can tell he won’t like what she has to say._

_“I’m leaving, I’m getting released from the hospital today and I’m going to a family cabin outside the city.”_

_“A cabin? Are you crazy? Lexa you can’t be serious right now! How are you going to live in a cabin?”_

_The man asks with a raised voice and a dumbfounded expression and Lexa would have laughed at what seems to be worry in his eyes if this decision wasn’t so hard to take._

_“You don’t know this, but my father had a car accident a few months prior to his death, he too ended up in a wheelchair and he moved there, the cabin is fully equipped for my needs.”_

_“What about the Kru? Your work? What about Clarke?”_

_The older Blake asks in almost a pleading tone and Lexa turns her face away to hide a silent and lonely tear that rolls down her face._

_“I’m no good like this, for any of them, the Kru, work and especially Clarke. She deserves better Bellamy, and you know it. I might not be working in the Kru anymore but I’ve been a cop for enough years to put a target on Clarke’s back and now I can’t even protect her anymore. Not like this.”_

_The woman says as she pinches her legs forcefully to prove her point, the force of gesture makes Bellamy flinch but Lexa remains undisturbed by it._

_“You can’t just leave like that Lexa; it’s not fair for any of you.”_

_The man tries once more and Lexa shakes her head._

_“Promise me you’ll look out for her. I know you care about Clarke, she’s family to you, you learned your lesson with Cage, and I trust you to look out for her.”_

_Lexa says and Bellamy sniffs as he wipes his nose on his sleeve and looks at Lexa, the woman sounds certain and yet defeated, assured and yet heartbroken and Bellamy can’t help but to feel his heart squeeze in pain for both of them, not only Clarke but Lexa too._

_“You know I will, but what about you?”_

_“As long as Clarke is safe I’ll be alright.”_

_The woman says and Bellamy shakes his head, he doesn’t agree with Lexa’s decision and departure, but to see her so heartbroken and yet so willing to let go of Clarke to protect the blonde makes him respect Lexa as he never thought he would. In his mind it makes some sense that Lexa’s disability can be seen as a burden, and even if he feels that Clarke would never feel it that way, he respects Lexa’s wishes._

_“Yo, hotshot? Ready to roll out of here?”_

_Raven says lightly as she pushes a wheelchair inside Lexa’s room and looks over at Bellamy, the man’s slightly puffy red eyes makes Raven stop to pay him more attention._

_“Wow, Bell, are you crying? Fuck, did Lexa just beat up your sorry ass so badly that you’re crying?”_

_“Shut up Ray.”_

_The man says as Luna walks in the room with Abby by her side and looks around._

_“Is everything alright?”_

_Abby asks feeling the strong emotions in the air and Lexa nods as she looks at the papers in Abby’s hands._

_“Everything is fine Abby. Are those my papers to be discharged?”_

_The detective says trying to sound happy about the fact that she’s finally getting out of the hospital, her skin tissue, and her post-surgery recovery was surprisingly fast, and normally Lexa would have been released sooner, but with her condition and all the adjustments that Lexa needed, Abby decided to make her stay longer, not to mention that Clarke was worried sick about the green-eyed brunette._

_“Lexa, I have to ask you again, are you sure of this?”_

_“I am Abby, Niylah says she can come to the cabin weekly and Doctor Becca had also agreed to this. And I trust you to keep this between us too, patient and doctor privilege.”_

_Lexa looks at Abby and the doctor reluctantly and ruefully nods in agreement. Niylah joins Lexa in the room and the brunette rolls her eyes at her words._

_“Clarke is outside and she won’t leave until she sees you.”_

_Niylah says and Lexa closes her eyes after glaring at the therapist. Granted Niylah is nice and pleasant, but Lexa had seen her outside the room for a couple of times and noticed how Niylah smiles brightly at Clarke and how they both hug with an old familiarity and intimacy. Jealous! Lexa is jealous of Niylah and she has no reasons to be, the dark-blonde had something with Clarke and of that Lexa is sure, but it was before her and yet she can’t shake the jealousy she feels now. She might be leaving Clarke but she is not leaving her feelings for the blonde behind._

_After a few minutes in tense silence, Lexa nods and looks around._

_“Let me talk to her before we leave.”_

_The detective asks and Raven looks at her and Lexa just shakes her head, the Latina mumbles something under her breath that Lexa chooses to ignore and Bellamy looks at her._

_“You’re sure about this?”_

_“I am Bellamy; look for her since I can’t.”_

_“I’ll look for you too, whatever you need Lexa, call me and I’ll be there.”_

_The man says as he walks out and Lexa thinks about his words for a moment, she wasn’t expecting Bellamy to take it so well, after how Raven reacted she expected him to be harsher on her, but if anything Bellamy seems understanding of Lexa’s reasons. Clarke enters the room with her right arm in a cast and glares at Lexa._

_“You’ve been avoiding me!”_

_The blonde says as she steps closer to the bed and Lexa’s face goes blank._

_“I thought it was clear that I don’t want to see you. But here you are so I guess I have to tell you personally that I don’t want to see you Clarke.”_

_The broody detective says and if usually the way she says Clarke’s name would make the blonde feel butterflies in her belly this time all it does is make her feel confused._

_“You don’t mean that. You’re just angry because you’re in the hospital.”_

_“I’m angry with a lot of things and one of them is making mistakes.”_

_Lexa says harshly and Clarke looks at her, she can’t quite grasp what Lexa is doing but she knows she does not like it one bit. Lexa looks closed off, more than when they met and that’s unsettling._

_“I don’t understand, Lexa, talk to me. Let me help you.”_

_“You can’t help me, no one can, my mistakes are mine alone to bear and you’re one of them.”_

_“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”_

_The blonde asks as her eyes get watery at this distance Lexa is putting between them._

_“It means you were a mistake, we were a mistake. Move on Clarke.”_

_The broody detective says and Clarke can’t contain the tears that roll down her face, the blonde takes a step closer to Lexa and looks at her with a pleading look._

_“Lex, please, don’t do this! We’re a team remember? Let us work together, I know you can’t walk right now, but let me help you, please.”_

_“I don’t want your help. There’s no us Clarke, can’t you fucking see that? What we had was a momentary fling and now it’s over.”_

_“Lex…”_

_“Just leave, just fucking leave Clarke or I’ll call the security.”_

_The detective says with a raised voice and Clarke shakes her head as she tries to touch Lexa’s hands and the detective just presses a button on the bedside table to call for help. Abby immediately walks in and looks at Lexa’s face which is stoic and void of any emotion and then at Clarke’s heartbroken expression._

_“Doctor Abby, can you tell your daughter to leave me alone?”_

_The brunette says and Abby nods albeit reluctantly as she takes a few steps in Clarke’s direction and tries to embrace the blonde and pull her out of the room. Clarke, however, jerks away from her mother’s touch and looks at Lexa with fury, pain and desolation in her eyes._

_“I fucking hate you Alexandria Woods, I hope you rot in that wheelchair of yours, your fucking coward.”_

_The blonde says in between sobs and walks out of the room with Abby close behind her; as soon as the door closes Lexa brings her hands to her face and cries in sadness. Her only comfort is to know that the blonde it will be well taken care of by Bellamy and all their friends._

**Present moment**

The morning had been tiring, by the time Luna and Indra arrived at the parking lot of 13th station they are thankful that their morning is over. Interviewing Judge Pike had been as interesting as it was demanding, the man is a weird character: he is strict but extravagant, cold and yet warm, but more than that Luna could tell that despite the fact that he was trying to be impassive about what happened in the courthouse he was also scared of it.

After Pike it was Nia’s turn, and the woman didn’t make it easy for Luna and her Chief, in fact even Indra found herself on the verge of losing her patience with Nia’s dramatic antics. The woman kept asking Roan to intervene and kept asking Luna to mind her tone. All in all by the time both women were out of Nia’s room they were thoughtfully content with it. Roan asked Indra where the Kru was with the case and the older woman told him that they were still looking for clues and that the FBI would send a team to work with them since it seemed that the FBI had leads to offer. The man then asked Luna about Lexa and Indra upon the news of knowing that Lexa was in town admitted that she wanted to see her.

_“So what do you make of all of this?”_

Indra asks as she takes off her sunglasses and looks at Luna, the curly-haired detective takes a moment to think about her Chief’s question, guessing where the older woman is going with this.

_“I think it’s too soon to have a clear idea about the investigation.”_

Luna says and Indra nods as she stops near the entrance of the station and looks at Luna with observant eyes.

_“And what do you think we should do?”_

The woman asks once more and Luna is sure that Indra is testing her, after all with Lexa still out of the Kru and Roan having a direct link to Nia, she knows she will be the one who is going to take charge of the investigation.

_“May I speak freely Chief?”_

_“Of course.”_

_“I know that Nia said she was the target and that Aden is on his way here to show us what he found at her place, but this feels odd. I mean there were several devices planted, and most were smoking bombs, the dangerous one was in Judge’s Pike chambers and Nia only has a few scratches. I might be getting out of my league here, but whoever planted the devices had inside information about the surveillance operation.”_

_“You suspect that someone on the courthouse staff is working with whoever planted the devices?”_

Indra asks nodding at Luna’s reasoning because it does make sense, someone knew when and where to plant the devices, and in order to know, had to have inside knowledge of the police’s plan.

_“It’s the only conclusion I can make at this moment. I don’t know why they targeted this trial session, or the Judge and Nia. There’s some speculation that Nia could be just the front face of the operation, but Nia is cunning enough to propose a deal in exchange for her freedom, and she hasn’t done so. It could be someone trying to avenge something she has done, or trying to put her out of her businesses but it can also be someone targeting Judge Pike, in his years as Judge he surely made more enemies than friends.”_

Luna says and Indra ponders her words in silence and then nods and looks at her again.

_“So what do you think we should do now?”_

_“I think we should look into whatever the FBI has on this and then work out a plan to try and look for suspects.”_

The curly-haired detective says and Indra nods as she motions with her hand for Luna to walk inside the Police Station. They go back to the common room of the Kru in silence and Indra walks inside the office that once belonged to Gustus. Half an hour later Luna is talking with Miller about the reports the man still has to go over when a loud bang comes from the entrance of the common room causing them to look up startled by the noise.

_“We’re back bitches.”_

Echo says grinning from ear to ear at the same time Indra opens the door and looks at her, Anya glares at her colleague and Echo shakes her head apologetically.

_“Sorry Chief, with all due respect I’m just glad to be working with you again.”_

The FBI agent says awkwardly and Indra forces herself not to crack up with laughter at Echo’s tension and the baffled expression on Anya’s face.

_“Ladies, it’s nice to have you two back; this is your home too.”_

Indra says as she walks over to Echo and Anya to shake their hands. Anya’s eyes look over the room stopping briefly on Roan’s desk but it’s when she looks over to Lexa’s desk that the look on her face turns to one of sadness.

_“Is Lexa still away at the cabin?”_

The dirty-blonde asks and Luna looks from Miller to Anya with a shake of her head.

_“She’s in town, but she is still… You know.”_

Luna says and Anya sighs with a soft nod of her head, she has been texting, calling and even visiting Lexa regularly, but due to her work she had to be out of Boston for two weeks and she kind of naively hoped that in that time Lexa’s condition had improved.

Raven and Aden come into the room a few minutes after Echo’s and Anya’s arrival to greet them as Indra told them to, the Latina and the dirty-blonde greet each other with some witty remarks but upon Indra’s interruption with a clearing of her throat, the team starts to tell Anya and Echo what happened in more detail and what they have so far. It doesn’t take long for Indra to nod at Luna and let the detective to take the lead and delegate some tasks and soon after Raven is out of the Kru room and back to her own tasks. Despite the fact that Anya and Echo didn’t travel for too long, Indra decides to schedule a meeting for the next morning in order to let them have some rest.

**

Luna climbs the stairs and greets an old lady on her way with a smile. She always feels good when she stays at Raven’s place, granted the Latina’s apartment is smaller than Luna’s and Raven has a natural tendency to have the weirdest things scattered around the house but Luna loves it. It is Raven’s place, Raven’s bed, the Latina’s sweet perfume on the pillows and Luna just enjoys the proximity she feels when Raven shares her own space with her. She puts the key in the lock and opens the door to find Raven on the couch massaging her leg. Luna frowns as she looks at her girlfriend and places her things down.

_“Hey babe, I thought you were staying at your place with Lexa.”_

Raven says trying to sound casual and Luna looks at her again as she takes off her shoes.

_“That was the plan earlier when I texted you but Lexa wanted Emori to go over the proposals and the papers with her and Emori told her that she would only do it if Lexa agreed to stay with them.”_

The curly-haired woman replies softly as she sits on the couch and picks up Raven’s legs placing them on her lap to start massaging Raven’s feet.

_“Something is bugging you. Was it lunch with Clarke?”_

Luna asks and Raven leans back on her couch enjoying the massage Luna is giving her. It doesn't surprise Raven anymore how well Luna can read her. They have been in sync for months now, despite their differences Luna always manages to read Raven and calm her down, and Raven has learned how to reach out to the detective when she seems closed off too. And although they clash and fight sometimes the truth is that they always find common ground.

_“Yeah, the lunch wasn't quite what I was expecting it to be.”_

Raven says and Luna nods as she waits for Raven to continue but the Latina stays silent and Luna squeezes her leg for comfort.

_“Do you want to talk about it?”_

Luna asks her voice soft and calming and it almost feels like a lullaby to Raven’s ears and that propels her to take action. The Latina takes a deep breath and then sits on the couch pulling her legs away from Luna’s touch causing the detective to startle at the sudden change.

_“Do you want to move in with me?”_

Raven asks in a raised tone of voice and Luna’s eyes widen at the abrupt and out of the blue question. Raven shakes her head at herself, for some reason Luna has her acting like a stupid teenager with butterflies sometimes and although Raven would usually berate herself for it she wouldn’t change it for anything on the world.

_“I mean, not move in with me, because I’m a genius so I know the rational and logical thing to do is for me to move in with you.”_

_“Oh is that so miss Raven Genius Reyes?”_

Luna asks with sparkling eyes and Raven leans in to peck her on the lips with a humming sound.

_“That’s damn right, I should just go and change my name, but seriously I know you like to come here and stay with me, but let’s face it, it’s getting tiring to always be moving from places and yours is closer to our work, it’s your own place, not rented and it’s bigger.”_

Raven says as Luna looks at her in silence, after a long period in silence Luna blinks a couple of times and looks up and Raven’s heart skips a beat thinking that she is might proposing this too soon.

_“I mean we can wait if you think it’s too soon, I just… I… We make a pretty good team, we respect and like each other and we’re shared your place before, it’s not like… I don’t know, I’m not saying that I’ll live in your house at your expense, I mean I don’t want you to put your house in my name either, is just… I don’t know… We could just live together and do what couples do…”_

Raven is rambling now and even though it is a rare sight for Luna to see and she enjoys this dorky rambling side of her girlfriend she can’t take the anxious state Raven is in anymore and so she does the only thing she thinks of to make Raven stop talking. She lurches herself at Raven pinning her to the couch to kiss her deeply and passionately. When the kiss winds down the Latina looks up at Luna with sparkling brown eyes.

_“Is that a yes?”_

The police consultant asks and Luna smiles as she pecks Raven’s lips once more.

_“It’s a yes.”_

Luna says and Raven feels an overwhelming sensation burst out from her chest like she never felt before, a silent tear rolls down her face and Luna kisses it away with tenderness.

_“God, you make me all mushy and emotional.”_

Raven says with a smile and Luna chuckles as she kisses Raven once more.

_“Are you crying coz you’re already regretting your question and I said yes?”_

The detective asks and Raven shakes her head in amusement.

_“Not a fucking chance.”_

Raven says as her hands start roaming over Luna’s clothed body. Despite how she was feeling about what happened with Clarke the night took a wonderful turn and even if her friends will mock her for how she reacts to Luna, the Latina won’t mind it because she knows in her heart that Luna is in her life for the long run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well let me know what you guys thought and if not before we will see each other on the next update! :)


	4. Confessions and surprise visits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! How's everyone?  
> Firstly let me tell you we're all in this together. These are hard times we're living but we all have a part to play.  
> For those of you that can stay home please do. Take this time to watch that show you have been postponing for months, read those books on your shelve that you haven't had the time to read yet, read that fic that you were waiting for it to be finished, go through your closet and get rid of the old clothes you don't need anymore. Who knows? Maybe someone will need them in the future.  
> We can re-invent ourselves right now and we should do it with a smile and a hopeful heart. Remember that we might think we're young and invincible, and maybe if we get sick we will be fine, but we will also put a lot of people at risk, our parents, grandparents and loved ones.  
> Let's break the chain where we can! :)  
> Stay safe!

**Chapter 4 - Confessions and surprise visits**

The birds are chirping and the sun is casting an orange and pink glow over the city when Miller wakes up. The detective groans in pain as his whole body feels sore and his back is aching. He lifts his wristwatch to his eyes and opens one eye to look at the time. It is nearly 7 am and that means that he needs to get up and move to prepare his breakfast and go through his morning routine. But for some reason all he wants is to remain sleeping, he turns around forcing himself to open both eyes and realizes why his body is complaining so much: he slept on the couch.

This is not new for him, to fall asleep on the couch; however, he usually wakes up in the middle of the night and goes to his room. He places his feet on the cold floor and looks for his slippers as a soft noise comes from his room and Miller remembers why he had to sleep on the couch all night, Jackson stayed at his place. The doctor's building is undergoing some renovations and in the meantime; Jackson decided to sleep somewhere else. Nathan naturally offered to let him stay with him; Jackson didn't want to accept at first for more reasons than one but the one he used was that Nathan’s apartment only has one bedroom. Miller's new apartment is smaller than the one he shared with Bryan. The detective had decided to move out and rent a new apartment a few weeks after Bryan's death.

Although this new apartment is smaller Nathan insisted with Jackson to stay with him, the detective enjoys the doctor’s company and wanted to help. Jackson in return had two other options: to stay with Abby at the Griffin household that is on the opposite side of town; or find a small hotel with an average price. Upon Miller's insistence, the doctor accepted his invitation.

Miller gets from the couch and walks in the direction of the bathroom room before walking in, he yawns and stretches his arms lazily at the same time the door that leads to his bedroom is opened and Jackson looks at Miller as his shirt rides up showing his taut abs. The doctor immediately casts his gaze to the floor blushing slightly.

_“Do you want to use the bathroom?”_

Miller asks, unaware of the doctor's blush and Jackson looks up at him trying to compose himself.

_“Yeah, I… Uh… I want to take a quick shower if you don't mind?”_

_“Alright then, just let me go in to wash my face and then you can go shower okay?”_

Miller asks kindly and Jackson nods as he feels slightly struck by a tingling sensation all over his body.

_“Yeah sure, I mean it's your house.”_

The doctor says shyly and Miller shakes his head in amusement.

_“Well for the next few days think of it as your house too.”_

Miller says and Jackson nods as he looks at Miller's gentle face and bright brown eyes.

_“Thank you.”_

The doctor says and Miller takes a step closer to him and places one hand on Jackson’s shoulder and squeezes it slightly. The proximity of Miller's movements only makes Jackson more aware that he has gone way past the slight infatuation crush phase.

_“You're my partner now Jacks, you don't have to thank me, this is the least I can do. Alright, I'm going to be in and out in a minute and then you can take your time while I make some breakfast for us.”_

Nathan says as he steps back, and Jackson looks at him and shakes his head.

_“No, no, you don't need to, I can stop on my way to work and have something.”_

Jackson says awkwardly shy, he doesn't understand why he is being so weird around Miller, well he knows why but he doesn't want to think about it, not when Miller is being so kind to him and when he is only now starting to move on from the pain and loss he felt with Bryan's death.

_“Nonsense, you're my guest Jacks and I will treat you as one.”_

Miller says with a shrug and steps inside the bathroom as Jackson looks at the door with a quite dumbly stupid smile.

More or less one hour later, both men have taken their showers and are about to go to work. Miller feels a little confused, after months of waking up alone and going through his morning routine by himself it feels nice to share it with someone else. And although he was devoted to Bryan, the truth is that he hasn't felt this closeness in a long time. There's something in the way he feels at ease with Jackson that makes him feel slightly confused and guilty. By the time they are both outside the building and next to their cars Miller looks at Jackson and smiles as he shakes his head as if he had just thought of something.

_“Wait, let me just…”_

The detective says as he walks to his car to retrieve a spare key of his apartment that he keeps there.

_“Since I never know if I'll stay late at work or not use this key to let yourself in.”_

Miller says and Jackson shares a thankful smile with his friend.

_“Thank you, Miller. Now let's go before one of us loses our job.”_

The doctor replies softly and looking intently at Miller and the detective lingers as he looks from Jackson's eyes to his lips. Without second-guessing himself, the detective leans in and kisses Jackson but before the doctor has time to return the kiss Nathan is pulling away confused and blushing and turns around and strides fast towards his car looking briefly back at Jackson.

_“I'll see you later.”_

The man says in a hushed tone and gets inside his car so fast that Jackson doesn’t even have time to respond. As Nathan reverses and makes a quick escape he doesn’t even notice that he is leaving the doctor glued to his spot with his feelings and emotions in turmoil.

**

Octavia pads over to Clarke's room and knocks on the door softly as she never does. It is needless to say that the lunch was a disaster and the blonde had shut herself in her room since then. The younger Blake covered for her at work but now it is a new day and she is worried about her friend.

_“I'm not going to work O, tell Jaha I'm sick.”_

The blonde says and Octavia rolls her eyes and steps inside. The curtains are keeping out every ray of light that is already illuminating the city. And the first thing that Octavia does is open the curtains making Clarke bolt upright from her laying position to glare at her friend.

_“What the fuck O?”_

_“Cut the crap princess, you're not sick you have been in this room long enough to cry a river. Now it's time to go back there and get your shit together and get your girl.”_

Octavia says harshly and Clarke crosses her arms and looks in the opposite direction of which Octavia is standing.

_“She's not my girl. She told me we were a mistake remember?”_

Clarke says bitterly and Octavia sighs as she sits on the foot of the bed and looks gently at Clarke.

_“We both know that you're not over her.”_

_“I’ve moved on.”_

Clarke says defiantly and Octavia shakes her head guessing where the blonde is going with this.

_“You were hurt and made a mistake and the fact that even Niylah seems to know this should be telling you something.”_

_“Do you agree with Raven? With what she said yesterday… I… I can't believe she knew all this time too, Raven and Bellamy, they were supposed to be my friends.”_

The blonde says as she tries not to cry again and Octavia moves closer placing one hand on Clarke's knees.

_“Hey, I'm not going to defend them, what Raven said yesterday, well I would say it was out of line if it wasn't so Raven. But I'm sure they had their reasons for not telling us where Lexa was. You know how Bell feels about what happened to her.”_

Clarke nods because she does indeed know how Bellamy feels, the guilt the man perceives as his own is the same as Clarke’s. And putting that in perspective leads Clarke to a painful conclusion: Raven was technically right in calling Clarke out for her actions.

_**Two months ago**_

_Clarke is wandering through the hospital corridors with a sense of freedom, her arm finally free of the cast but it feels weird and weak after a little over four weeks with the cast on, Doctor Burch told Clarke it was expected, that she would experience some lack of strength in her arm. The orthopedic surgeon was confident since the beginning that the blonde wouldn't need surgery but she didn't expect the bone to heal so quickly. Clarke is looking at the skin of her wrist and moving her thumb trying to have a sense of pain or relief when a woman collides with her scattering papers on the floor._

_“I'm so sorry; I wasn't watching where I was going.”_

_Clarke says in a hushed tone of voice as she kneels to help the woman and finds bright hazel eyes looking up at her in amusement._

_“And here I was thinking that once you were free from that cast you were wearing you would be a hundred percent. I guess you should see what's going on with your eyes now.”_

_“Niylah, it is nice to see you again.”_

_The blue-eyed woman says and Niylah smiles sweetly at her. They had run into each other a few times before in the hospital. Mainly because Clarke even though Lexa rejected her visits kept coming to the hospital and found out that Niylah wasn't only back in Boston but she was the physician assigned to work with Lexa. Despite the awkwardness, she felt the first time she saw Niylah she quickly found that the woman was still warm and nice to hang out with._

_They haven't really hung around together but Clarke can feel in Niylah’s words and embraces that she wouldn't mind if they did. The physical therapist gathers her papers with Clarke's help and once they are both standing again she looks at Clarke’s thumb and hand as the blonde moves her arm._

_“Can I?”_

_The dark-blonde woman asks; pointing to Clarke's wrist and the reporter nods. Niylah places the papers under her arm and gently holds Clarke's right hand in her own, she applies some pressure on some nerves and gauges Clarke's reaction._

_“Mhmm, I think you should wear a roller bandage to hold it steady but still be able to move your wrist as you normally would. I also would advise you to do some work to regain your strength. I can show you how if you want.”_

_The therapist says as her fingertips move lightly over Clarke's skin and the blonde reporter looks at her enjoying not only the feeling of Niylah’s tender touch but the attention the woman is giving her._

_“I would like that, yeah. Are you free tonight?”_

_Clarke asks with a raspy voice and sparkling eyes, because why not? Lexa left her, Lexa told her to move on and that is what Clarke intends to do. Niylah for her part hides the surprise she feels in how easy it was to convince Clarke, or rather not convince her at all._

_“Yeah, tonight sounds great.”_

_The physician says and Clarke smiles as she feels the warm touch of Niylah’s hands still holding her own._

_“I'll text you my address then. See you later Niylah.”_

_**_

_When the morning arrives Clarke wakes up with a bright light directed at her face, she groans softly and is rewarded with a slight sour taste in her mouth and a slight headache. Wine! That's the first thing that comes to her mind, she didn't get drunk, of that she is sure but she definitely drank more than she should have. A warm body rolls over beside her and she feels a hand landing on her bare hip. Memories of the previous night come back to Clarke's mind as she feels Niylah’s even breathing on the back of her neck._

_Octavia, unaware of Clarke's plans, had decided to stay with Lincoln at his place and by the time Niylah got to Clarke's apartment, the blonde reporter had already set a table and made something for them to eat. When the meal was finished the first thing Clarke noticed was how different in the kitchen Niylah behaved in comparison with Lexa, the familiar domesticity in which Clarke and Lexa usually worked was miles away from how she behaved with Niylah. The second thing Clarke noticed was how Niylah eyed her with something akin to desire._

_True to her words the physician led Clarke to her couch and showed her various ways to do some workouts with her hand in order for the blonde to regain the full strength of it and also a functional way to protect her thumb and wrist through the day. With each touch, Niylah grew bolder and Clarke let herself feel. They stripped their clothes off and Niylah took Clarke over the edge right there on the couch. The mouth wasn't Lexa’s, the words weren't Lexa’s and the hands and the touches weren't Lexa’s. And by the time Clarke had cum she needed more, Lexa was still in the back of her mind and the blonde didn't want anything more than to cast her away._

_Wordlessly the blonde invited Niylah into her own bedroom and they repeated the movements and the actions. And if Niylah gave more than received she did it with practiced ease somehow familiar with Clarke's body. They fell asleep and although it wasn’t entirely planned the blonde didn’t have it in her to send Niylah away._

_A phone blasting through the apartment brings Clarke back to reality and she hears Niylah groaning as she moves from the bed to answer the call, not being one to evade her responsibilities._

_Clarke rolls over in bed to face the ceiling with a furrow in her eyebrows as she contemplates what to do next. Facing the inevitable of the matter she too slides from the bed pulling a clean pair of panties from a drawer on her bedside table and picking up a t-shirt to wear. By the time Clarke enters the living room she finds Niylah still on the phone and already half-dressed. The physical therapist pauses as she smirks at Clarke noticing a red mark on creamy pale thighs and the blonde looks at her seemingly at the loss of words._

_“I'll make something for breakfast.”_

_The blonde says and Niylah nods with a smile, it's only when she notices that the other side of the line went awfully silent that she looks at the phone and then places it on her ear again._

_“Lexa? You're still there?”_

_Niylah asks confused and Clarke pales as she looks over at Niylah._

_“Look Niylah, if you're too busy to be here in two hours you don't have to bother coming again.”_

_Lexa says harshly, ending the call after it and taking Niylah by surprise. The therapist groans in exasperation as she starts to fasten buttons of her shirt and looks at Clarke who remains glued to her spot eyeing Niylah with something akin to guilt. Unknown to the blonde's story with the detective Niylah shakes her head at Lexa’s antics._

_“Was it Lexa?”_

_Clarke asks because she can't stop herself and Niylah nods as she locks her phone and puts it in the pocket of her jeans._

_“Yeah, she's a real bitch sometimes. I don't get why you are friends with her.”_

_Niylah says now gathering her things and with her back to Clarke as the blonde fights the urge to tell her to not speak about Lexa like that._

_“Is she okay? Where is she?”_

_Clarke asks a bit roughly and Niylah turns to her with a puzzled expression at the blonde's tone._

_“She's fine, I mean, I understand her frustrations, she's not the first patient I have that gives me a hard time but she is just making it harder for both of us. I usually don't dislike patients but sometimes she makes it difficult not to.”_

_Niylah says suddenly wary of her words after all, Lexa is Clarke’s friend and more than that Lexa saved her life, she stops close to the blonde and looks at her apologetically._

_“I can't really tell you where she is, she made that very clear when we met. I'm sorry but I have to go. I had fun. We should do this again.”_

_Niylah says as she leans to kiss Clarke and the reporter follows the physical therapist to the door to open it. As soon as Niylah is out of the door Clarke feels an urge to cry. Silently the blonde goes to the bathroom and strips off her clothes. She lets the hot water wash away Niylah’s touch and her silent tears._

**Present moment**

_“I need to see Niylah.”_

Clarke says as she comes back from her trip to memory lane and Octavia looks puzzled at her.

_“Wait! What?”_

The younger Blake asks quite dumbfounded and Clarke closes her eyes as she exhales deeply and pinches the bridge of her nose in thought.

_“If I want to pull my shit together I need to talk to her first. What I did was selfish and unfair and if there's someone who has no blame in it, it is Niylah.”_

Clarke says aware of the fact that Raven was partially right. After that first night with Niylah and despite the guilt the blonde felt she still sought her out a handful of times. And although in that meantime the physician realized what was going on with Clarke and Lexa she kept coming. That was until that last morning when Clarke left Niylah in the bed and went to the bathroom to cry. Niylah woke up to an empty bed and decided to look around, it was only when she found Lexa’s drawing in Clarke's desk that she connected the dots: Clarke's curiosity about how Lexa’s condition and Lexa’s constant animosity towards Niylah when the blonde’s name came up. She had already a feeling that the two women had a story and that was one of the reasons why Niylah accepted the casual relationship she was having with Clarke but upon seeing that drawing and Clarke's look when she re-entered the room, she had no more doubts about it: Clarke still had feelings for the former detective. That morning when Clarke found Niylah with Lexa’s drawing in her hands the physical therapist didn't get any calls but didn't stay for breakfast either. She didn't kiss Clarke goodbye and told her to text her again soon, she just left in silence and Clarke let her go.

_“I don't know what happened between the two of you, but if you say you have to talk to her, do it. But now get out of the bed we have to meet up with Monroe.”_

Octavia says and Clarke sighs, the younger Blake has been a steady rock for Clarke's fragile times and the blonde is thankful for her roommate’s pragmatic support. Albeit reluctantly the blonde nods and decides to get out of bed and move forward.

**

The room is almost crowded and Chief Indra smiles, if it wasn't for Lexa’s absence she would feel completely satisfied with the team she has. The woman looks at Monty and he nods as he presses the keyboard and images fill the white screen board as a deep distorted voice is heard. Although the woman said Monty could have an assigned room for his work the former FBI consultant decided to stay in the large office he shared with Illian, it was big enough to fit all the equipment and the large couch was a bonus.

As the video plays the team in the room pays attention to it, it's a short video, no longer than two minutes and by the time it ends Indra looks at Anya and Echo with an apprehensive expression.

_“Why are we only learning about this now? Director Edwards could have briefed us on this before. ”_

The Chief says somewhat frustrated and Anya looks at her apologetically.

_“I assume that since her husband was diagnosed with cancer, Director Edwards hasn't been able to look at all the impending cases. As for Director Evans, well he has different priorities. We only learned of this tape when we were told we would work with you again.”_

Anya says and Echo nods as she takes a step closer to stand beside her partner.

_“Director Evans is quite an asshole.”_

Echo says with a smirk and Anya looks admonishingly at her and elbows her but Indra shakes her head with a fond smile.

_“I've talked to Director Evans when he told me he would send a team, I admit his methods are slightly different from Edwards.”_

Indra says and Echo nods as she elbows Anya in return as if to say “I told you so”; and Anya shrugs.

_“As I was saying Director Evans dismissed this video claiming that the case was closed, it was only after the courthouse attack that he mentioned that we could team up with you and share this.”_

_“Yeah, that much is true, and although we weren't the ones on Nia’s case and I was away for two weeks before coming here, we want to help as much as we can.”_

Echo and Anya say and Chief Indra looks over to Luna to tell her to take the lead. Luna looks from Anya to Roan and then at Indra and takes a step further to be in the center of the room so everyone in the group can look at her.

_“Okay, so although we all agree that if we had seen this before the trial session we would have more to look into, there's nothing we can do now. I think Aden should work with Monty, you two work on the surveillance we have and to see if you can try and make sense of this video, any references about where it was posted, who re-shared it, or anything else that could be important, so if you guys find something let us know.”_

Luna says as she looks around the room and Aden nods as he smiles and high-fives Monty then the curly-haired detective stops as she looks to a pair of brown eyes who are looking expectantly at her.

_“Raven and Fox, you two will keep testing the samples of the debris from the courthouse, try to find how the bombs were made, any kind of residue that points to a real lead will be welcome. And Roan, I think you should talk to the fire department, they might have seen something we didn't so any useful information they have is highly appreciated. You can take Echo with you, as for Anya, I think Miller and I can pass you on all the information we have from the interviews we conducted from that day.”_

Luna says and Anya nods, perfectly aware that with Lexa being gone and Roan having a direct link with Nia, the Chief is putting Luna in charge of the team. The curly-haired detective looks at the Chief again and clears her throat.

_“Chief do you think you can ask for a list of the staff that works in the courthouse? So we can cross-check the information with Nia’s associates.”_

The curly-haired woman asks and Indra nods, although the Chief can point out clearly the differences between Luna and Lexa in their styles of leadership she isn't disappointed. Whereas Lexa would be more commanding, Luna opts for voicing her thoughts in the form of suggestions, but as for Indra the results seem to be the same. Roan, however, shifts from one foot to the other and looks at Luna and then at the Chief.

_“Why look only into Nia’s associates, I mean as far as we know and this video shows she is a victim in this case. I'm sure Judge Pike has enemies too.”_

Roan says and Anya looks at him with a careful expression, Luna is about to answer him when Indra takes a step further clearing her throat and placing her hands behind her back in a formal stance.

_“We're not dismissing any theories here. I have already a list of the Judge’s recent cases, we will look into it and see if any of the people involved has the capacity to pull this attack on the courthouse but we have to bear in mind that this person or group, as they claimed in the video to be, specifically choose this trial to attack and therefore we have to assume that it can also be related to Nia.”_

The Chief says and Roan nods seeing the reasoning behind Indra’s words and Luna’s tactics. Indra surveys the room with keen eyes, both Fox and Raven are handling the pressure of the case well enough; despite the fact that Fox is still new in age and that Raven is only a civilian consultant.

_“Okay Kru, we have a case to solve and Luna gave us the tasks we need to do. Anya, I trust you will keep in touch with the FBI and tell us if any new video comes up.”_

_“Yes Chief, I will personally check with the headquarters to know if they have more info on this. That's actually why we didn't bring Illian with us, so he can keep a close eye on any leads the FBI might get.”_

Anya says as Echo nods at her partner’s words and Indra bows her head in acknowledgment.

_“Very well then, I don't have to tell you that due to the people involved in this case and the fact that what happened in the courthouse is from public knowledge we are under the scope here. I don't want any of you to act heroic and put yourselves, the others or even the investigation at risk.”_

Indra says sternly and a tense silence follows her words as everyone understands what she is saying.

_“On top of that I want to remind you that the Internal Affairs are still on our tail, so everything we do, we decide it as a team and according to the protocol. Is that clear?”_

_“Yes Chief.”_

The people in the room reply, even Raven and then Indra dismisses the meeting. As Luna steps out of the room Raven follows her and falls into step with her.

_“Wow that was intense.”_

The Latina says and Luna looks at her, she can see Raven is actually saying it seriously, even though it hasn't been the first time they were together in a briefing meeting it is the first time they attended one for a big case together.

_“Welcome to the Kru.”_

Luna says jokingly and the Latina smiles as she elbows Luna softly.

_“You were kind of a badass there. It was hot.”_

Raven says wiggling her eyebrows and Luna blushes at the look in Raven’s eyes. Indra passes by them and looks at Luna with a serious expression.

_“Luna, can we have a word?”_

The Chief says and Raven looks up at her fearing that the Chief overheard her and will want to talk to Luna about their proximity at work.

“Of course, Chief.”

Luna says and Indra nods at Raven as to tell her she doesn't need to stay, and although these types of situations are still somewhat weird for the Latina, she is growing used to Indra’s character and actions. The consultor looks at Luna who smiles reassuringly at her and Raven quickens her pace to catch up with Fox a few feet in front of her.

_“You did good there Luna, I want you to know that, even if this is a new situation for all of us, I have full confidence in your capacities to lead the team if I'm not around.”_

The older woman says softly and Luna is taken aback by the Chief’s words.

_“Thank you Chief.”_

The curly-haired detective says and Indra nods as she looks around as they walk along the corridor and then at Luna again.

_“Is Lexa still in town?”_

_“I think she is going back to the cabin later today. She texted me this morning saying that she wants to think about some things over the proposals she got for Gustus’ house, and Bellamy will stay with her there.”_

Luna says and Indra sighs, she hasn't had many chances to meet with Lexa, she had called and even visited her for a couple of times but not as often as she would like, perhaps she can make a trip to the cabin at the weekend. Then Indra looks at Luna with a pensive expression.

_“This internal investigation on Bellamy has been going for long enough; I will have to speak to the Internal Affairs to see if they close the damn thing once and for all.”_

Indra says seriously and Luna nods, she is not sure what the woman can do but she agrees with her that the whole thing has been dragged for enough and it is time to end it. The rest of their walk is made in silence and as Indra steps inside the private office of the Kru room Luna starts working with Anya and Miller.

**

It's past lunchtime when Miller sighs for the tenth time that day and goes from his desk to the lounge to make a cup of tea or something else to drink. Luna eyes him suspiciously and looks at Anya who has been immersed in paperwork all morning, so focused on her tasks that even the noodles she had for lunch she had them while working and the empty box is still on the desk. Luna spares a silent look around and decides to follow Miller to the lounge room.

_“You have been awfully quiet today what's wrong?”_

_“Fuck. Jesus, don't sneak up on me like that.”_

Miller says as he shakes his hand upon spilling the hot tea on it due to being startled by Luna’s sudden appearance.

_“Wow, there's definitely something going on with you today.”_

Luna says as she walks further into the room and pours some tea for herself and looks at Miller. The male detective looks at her with a fearful expression and sighs, as he leans on the kitchen counter, if Luna has something it is a natural talent to hear people out.

_“I kissed Jackson this morning.”_

Nathan says and Luna smiles as she remembers Raven’s words about the doctor having a crush on her work partner. Then she looks up at Miller's face and sees his eyes clouded with doubt.

_“Okay, you kissed Jackson and that's bad because…? He didn't reciprocate?”_

The curly-haired detective asks trying to understand what's going on in Miller's mind; the man just shakes his head and silently takes a seat in one of the chairs around the round table and places his mug down on it looking at Luna. The woman understands the silent invitation and takes a chair too.

_“I don't think he had the time to react to what I did.”_

Miller says in a small voice and Luna looks at him with sympathetic eyes.

_“Okay, but you two have been close for a while now and you have been friends for even longer and Jackson might be a bit strict with us at work but he seems a nice guy, maybe you should just talk to him if what you fear is his rejection you should just be honest with him about it.”_

Luna says calmly and Miller smiles at her kindness but shakes his head.

_“It's not just that. You're right; Jackson and I have been growing closer, even more since we went to the gala. And it's great, the closeness we have and how he is always there for me, we just have this bond and it's something I haven't felt in a while. And this morning when he woke up he was acting all weird and we were already on our way to work when I looked at him and kissed him.”_

_“Wait. You spend the night together?”_

Luna asks, trying to make sense of what Miller is saying and the man blushes as he shakes his head.

_“No, it’s not like that. He is crashing at my place while the building where he lives undergoes renovations. But he was all shy and weird this morning, I just felt the impulse and kissed him. But I loved Bryan, and although lately before he died, we had more fights than usual because we barely saw each other and we were growing apart, I loved him. I can't help but feel guilty for kissing Jackson, for letting him in while I was still grieving. I think about what I have with Jackson and it feels too soon.”_

Nathan says and Luna finally understands Miller's reaction, she smiles at him as she places her mug on the table and looks at Miller.

_“Nathan, grief and moving on mean different timings for different people. I understand what you're saying but what you have now with Jackson doesn't lessen what you had with Bryan. You don't have to feel guilty for having a connection with someone else. Bryan is a part of your life and no one questions that. But you deserve a chance to be happy again, and if Jackson makes you happy you should definitely consider it. I saw how he looks at you and if you feel the same you shouldn't be afraid of going after it.”_

Luna says and Nathan shrugs his shoulders with uncertainty.

_“But it's so sudden, even though I have known Jackson for some years now; these feelings are growing too fast. Bryan only died a few months ago.”_

Miller says and Luna leans back in her chair and looks at him, she can see the man is torn between respecting Bryan’s memory and moving on.

_“Look, you don't have to dive headfirst into this. But no one can blame you for moving on, you're young and you deserve to live your life to the fullest and time it's just a subjective concept. I mean, look at me and Raven. We barely knew each other when I invited her to stay at my place. And I know it's different, but since I met her I knew she was special, it didn't take long for us to be living together as if we known each other for ages, and it was fast, too fast, we took some steps backwards and despite all that we're still together and now we're thinking about moving together for good. All I'm saying is that time works differently for each one of us, but at the end of the day you have to look at yourself and think that by moving on you're not disrespecting Bryan’s memory, I'm sure he would want you to be happy.”_

Luna says in that gentle and calm tone that's so her and Miller sighs as he looks at her with a soft nod. Luna’s words are already shining a flicker of hope in Nathan’s clouded mind.

_“Thank you Luna.”_

Miller says and Luna smiles at him as she finishes her tea at the same time Anya opens the door and looks at both of them with a raised eyebrow.

_“What is going on with you two? You have been in here for ages. Are you two planning Luna’s wedding or something?”_

Anya asks teasingly and Luna rolls her eyes with a chuckle.

_“Definitely and you're not invited.”_

Luna says giving Miller some time to compose himself and Anya huffs as she crosses her arms and looks at Luna.

_“I'm pretty sure Raven will want me there, after all, I'm the backup plan in case you fuck things up.”_

Anya says with a smirk and Luna looks at her with a smug expression.

_“You wish.”_

Luna says and Anya looks from the curly-haired detective to Miller who smiles at their banter.

_“I won’t dignify that with an answer Luna. Alright, this is all very funny but I actually came to tell you that Fox and Raven found something and they want to see us.”_

Anya says and Luna looks at Miller who gets up from his chair placing the empty mug on the counter to wash it later and then they all exit the room in order to go find Raven and Fox.

**

_“Are you sure you don't want to stay awhile longer honey?”_

Lianna asks Lexa and the former detective shakes her head with a sigh.

_“I will be back next week, but I feel more comfortable at the cabin.”_

Lexa says and Lianna fights the urge to cry right in front of her niece. It's a fact that in the cabin Lexa can go through her day without anyone's help and she can also grocery shop online but there's a part of the older woman that wants to keep her niece close so she can look for her.

_“I’m not going to insist, you know how I feel about that. But at least call me when you get there.”_

Lianna says dejectedly leaning down to hug her niece and Lexa nods and then looks at Emori; the youngest of the Woods smiles at her cousin and hugs her too.

_“Call us okay? And if you have any questions with the papers let me know and I'll come up to the cabin to talk about it.”_

_“Don't worry; I think I just need some time to go through this again.”_

Lexa says with a smile and Lianna looks at Bellamy who had put Lexa’s bag in his truck and is now walking towards them to see if Lexa is ready to leave.

_“Take care of my baby girl, Bellamy!”_

Lianna says almost in a pleading tone with a sniff and the older Blake nods as Lianna hugs him. Although slightly surprised the man returns the affectionate gesture with a sigh.

_“Don't worry ma’am, I'll keep an eye on her.”_

The man says with an easy smile and Lexa looks at him. It still surprises her how caring Bellamy is towards her but she is growing used to it nonetheless. After the goodbyes the two friends get inside Bellamy’s pick-up truck and drive away under the watchful gaze of Lianna who can't help but sniff as tears roll down her face and Emori hugs her telling her that Lexa is in good company.

**

The trip to the cabin will last for two hours or so and Lexa picks up a radio station and leans on the passenger seat adjusting her sunglasses. The brunette looks over at Bellamy who is humming to the song on the radio focused on his driving.

_“You're sure that you want to stay for the weekend? I mean, I understand if you had other things planned.”_

Lexa says and Bellamy stops the car at a red light and looks briefly at her with a shake of his head.

_“No, it's fine, I don't have anything planned, with Echo now working with the Kru I'm sure she will be focused on catching up with everything related to the case and besides despite that we work in different parts of town and sometimes she leaves town we have been making the best we can in the available time we have together. She actually told me to take a few days off, I need it.”_

Bellamy says as the sun almost blinds him and Lexa hands him his sunglasses with a chuckle upon having told him to put the damn glasses on three times already. As his words sink in within Lexa, the former detective looks at him and frowns.

_“And why is that?”_

_“Uh?”_

Bellamy says not taking his eyes off the road and Lexa reads him well to know that he is troubled about something.

_“Why do you need some time off? Has something happened?”_

The woman inquires as Bellamy takes the exit and sighs grateful for being out of the city traffic.

_“It's nothing important.”_

The older Blake says as the clear road presents itself in front of his eyes and Lexa doesn't buy it, maybe it is because Bellamy adjusts his position on his seat, maybe is because his face twitched ever so slightly, but there’s definitely something going on.

_“Blake?”_

The former detective says sternly and Bellamy sighs.

_“It was Clarke, she saw me with you at the hospital and we had a disagreement over it.”_

The older Blake says trying to sound casual and unaffected by it and Lexa looks at him and remains silent for some time trying to figure out how to approach the subject. They stay quiet for a few minutes and although Bellamy usually likes to talk to Lexa, this time he doesn’t mind as long as Lexa doesn’t inquire him about what happened in detail.

_“Maybe you should go back to the city once you drop me off at the cabin. She's your friend and I can see this is bugging you.”_

Lexa says after half an hour in silence and Bellamy shakes his head, Lexa remains silent after it for a while and Bellamy once more feels surprised at the way she always respects his space, if it was anyone else they would be bugging him with questions about what happened, but not Lexa, she just offers him the chance of think things through again.

_“I mean it, Bellamy, I appreciate all you have been doing for me, but Clarke is your friend, I understand why she might be angry right now, you can just take me home and go back to talk to her and explain your point of view.”_

Lexa is once more the bigger person as it seems and Bellamy can’t help but admire her all the more for it, Lexa’s wisdom about Clarke’s reaction and how caring she acts towards Bellamy and the blonde reporter is a huge contrast to how Clarke reacted and Bellamy can’t help but think about Raven’s words about Clarke and Niylah, the man shakes his head again as he spots a gas station and signals for the turn to stop in it to buy some snacks and stretch his legs.

_“No, we… Clarke and Raven got in a heated argument and I want to cool my head. Clarke said some stuff and then Raven said some stuff too and it was messy.”_

The man says as he parks the car in the parking lot and opens his door to go out. Once outside Bellamy rounds the car and opens Lexa’s door for her to breathe some fresh air. They still have a few more miles to go but the air already has the scent of the woods mixed with fuel and Lexa feels a tingle at the bottom of her back and feels the urge to step outside the car too. She moves in the seat trying to put her legs on the floor and Bellamy quickly moves in front of her and holds out his arms to help her out of the car, and Lexa, for once, accepts his help and holds onto him for dear life.

_“Lexa?”_

Bellamy asks as he supports her friend's weight and Lexa groans in despair as her legs start to cave in beneath her.

_“It's useless; these stupid legs just won't work.”_

Lexa says defeated and frustrated and Bellamy helps her get inside the car again. Even if Lexa is resigned he sees a flicker of hope. The man looks at her with a sad smile, Lexa’s face is blank and her jaw is clenched and the man decides to give her some time to breathe.

_“Do you want those awful chips you always have on our trips? I’m going to buy something and will be here in a minute.”_

The older Blake says and Lexa nods and watches him taking long and precise steps to enter the shop and buy some things, Lexa looks at her legs and curses at loud thankful for Bellamy’s sense of space and time, the man doesn’t suffocate her as her family, Anya and Luna did at first.

More or less than five minutes later Bellamy is back and gives Lexa a small bag with chips that make Lexa’s eyes light up at the sight.

_“Once we get to the cabin we'll do some exercises, you have been lazy for too long now and I have the list Niylah gave you.”_

The man says jokingly at first but then tenses a little at Niylah’s name and falls silent as he restarts the car and Lexa looks at him.

_“What's wrong?”_

The former detective asks suddenly confused at Bellamy’s sudden tension and the man shakes his head with an exhale.

_“I'm sorry; I failed you not once but twice now.”_

The older Blake says as he leans his head on the steering wheel with a sigh and Lexa can't help but laugh at Bellamy’s dramatic antics. The man, however, looks at her dumbfounded and Lexa upon seeing Bellamy’s face looks at him with a serious expression.

_“You haven't failed me Bellamy, what are you even talking about?”_

_“Niylah, she and Clarke… Erm… You know, Raven told me about them. You told me to look out for Clarke and I didn't, if I had done it, she wouldn't have been with Niylah again.”_

Bellamy says as he finally maneuvers the truck out of the gas station and Lexa looks at the road ahead of them.

_“I told her to move on and she did.”_

Lexa says trying to sound casual but even to her own ears it sounds like a lie; her assumptions were correct after all Lexa knows that Clarke hates to wake up early so for the blonde to be up at 7 am with the physical therapist it could only mean one thing: they spent the night together.

_“Except she didn't, not quite, the way she argued with me and Raven, showed that clearly. I saw in her eyes she regrets it, she still wants you.”_

Bellamy says and Lexa closes her eyes trying to fight the urge to tell Bellamy to shut up.

_“She doesn't need me, she moved on as I hoped she would. And there wasn't much you could do to stop her from doing that.”_

Lexa says and her voice almost sounds cold and detached, Bellamy's face twists, not in anger but in frustration over Lexa’s attitude.

_“How can you be so calm and cool about this? We're talking about Clarke!”_

The older Blake asks with some frustration and Lexa looks down at her legs.

_“I’ve put her in danger, I deserve to be in that wheelchair and she deserves better.”_

Lexa says harshly and looking thought the window and Bellamy resists the urge to put his foot on the breaks and stop the car. This is the truth Lexa has been hiding all along. She feels responsible for what happened and although the man understands why Lexa feels that way, there's a limit for the guilt that they are carrying and Lexa is clearly past it.

_“That's not true Lexa, and you know it, Cage was a sick bastard. And I know why you left but don't you think that Clarke has the right to make the choice of staying with you or not? And I saw you when we stopped back there; I believe you can walk again.”_

Bellamy says and it's somehow stern and caring at the same time and takes Lexa by surprise, his words echo in her mind but she stays silent. The brunette had already made her decision by the time she saw the familiarity in which Niylah and Clarke talked outside her room, and that only made her more certain of what she had to do.

**

It is Saturday night and Boston is coming alive with cars on the streets and people on the sidewalks. Clarke hasn't been out on a Saturday night for a while now and when she looks around as she sits still inside her car she regrets her decision. She could have perfectly scheduled a lunch or even stayed at home but instead she is now lingering inside her own car outside Redemption’s Bar. Leaning her head on the steering wheel the blonde groans with a woeful sigh. She has to start from somewhere and this is the first step.

Bellamy hasn't said a word since the lunch a couple of days ago and Raven has been radio silent too, she is not even answering Octavia’s messages and Clarke knows she needs to be the one sorting this mess out. Looking around the blonde steps out of the car and approaches the door of the bar carefully. She isn't sure why she picked Redemption’s Bar to begin with but now there's no turning back. From the small windows on the wooden door she can see the movement inside it and the faint sound of soft rock blues reaches her ears. Inhaling deeply the blonde pulls the door open and steps inside.

The bar looks exactly the same as she remembers and once inside the blonde takes a good look around. She's the first to arrive and although she isn't exactly punctual she wasn't expecting it to be different. Clarke is so immersed in her thoughts that she doesn't notice when a woman turns around and looks at her. It's only when a gentle hand lands on her shoulder that Clarke looks to her left side to see Lianna smiling kindly at her.

_“Clarke, honey, it's nice to see you here again. How are you?”_

The woman speaks in the gentle and familiar tone she always used with Clarke and the blonde smiles.

_“I’m sorry I haven't come sooner, it has been a rough couple of months.”_

The blonde says as Lianna looks around and at the door trying to see if Clarke is with some of her friends. When she doesn't see anyone that she knows to be a part of Clarke's group of friends her eyes land on the blonde again.

_“I assume you've come upon hearing that Lexa was in town?”_

Lianna half asks half states and Clarke gulps but stays silent as she looks around to see if by any chance she had missed Lexa, it wouldn't be surprising because Clarke is not used to seeing her in a wheelchair. Lianna takes Clarke's silence as a positive answer and sighs with a slight shake of her head.

_“I'm afraid you missed her for a day, Lexa went to the cabin yesterday already. I must say I never agreed with her and hoped you would come here looking for her when she went there for the first time.”_

The older woman says gently and Clarke registers two things: the first is how easily Lianna told her where Lexa is: a cabin; with this new knowledge the blonde registers another thing: she can't help the guilt that creeps over her at realizing that all this time she could have just talked to Lianna to learn of Lexa’s whereabouts.

_“How is she?”_

Clarke asks in a small voice and Lianna sniffs slightly as images of her niece in a wheelchair flash through her eyes.

_“Still paralyzed, it breaks me to see her in that damned wheelchair; it almost feels like she has given up on trying, as if she's resigned to that condition of hers. But come, I'll get us both a table so we can talk.”_

Lianna says and something unsettling lands in the blonde's stomach that almost makes her want to throw up. Before Clarke has time to respond to Lianna’s invitation the door of the bar opens and a tall figure approaches Clarke with a smile placing a friendly hand on the blonde's shoulder.

_“Clarke, I'm so sorry for arriving late.”_

_“It is fine Niylah, I just got here too.”_

Clarke says and Lianna tenses slightly, she has heard the name at the hospital, Abby told her that name when she spoke of Lexa’s physical therapist and although she can't be sure it's the same person she has a feeling that it might be. However, it is how close Clarke and Niylah seem to be that gets her attention.

_“Alright ladies, get yourselves a table and someone will come shortly to take your orders. It was a pleasure to see you, Clarke.”_

The older woman says as she turns and walks away, and Clarke watches her leave with a pained expression. Niylah’s timing was the worst and the blonde questions herself if she should dismiss Niylah in favor of talking to Lianna. The blonde doubts Lianna knows the full story about her breakup with Lexa.

_“Do you know each other?”_

Niylah asks, calling the attention of the blonde and Clarke looks at her with a nod, suddenly a little uncomfortable with the situation.

_“Yeah, Lianna is the owner of the bar and Lexa’s aunt.”_

Clarke says with a small voice, and although Niylah has already put the pieces of Clarke's and Lexa’s story together she can't quite shake the feeling of being used by the blonde. Shaking her head slightly to push those thoughts to the back of her mind the physical therapist looks at Clarke with a soft smile.

_“Shall we get a table then?”_

Niylah asks and Clarke looks from Lianna to Niylah with a nod. Together they pick a secluded table near one of the windows that allows them to look outside and Clarke after shrugging her coat off takes a seat as Niylah does the same.

_“Listen Niylah, I own you an apology.”_

The blonde says after a few moments in silence and Niylah shakes her head as she looks at Clarke’s pained and genuine expression.

_“No, you don't have to; I think I have an idea about what happened.”_

The physical therapist says at the same time a young girl approaches their table to place their orders. Clarke looks from the girl to Lianna who is looking at the table with a mix of curiosity and sadness, which only makes Clarke feel more ashamed of her actions. When the young girl takes their orders and leaves, Clarke looks at Niylah with a decided expression.

_“Even if you have an idea about what happened I still want to talk to you and apologize. It was never my intention to use you or lead you on.”_

The blonde says and Niylah shakes her head.

_“I never asked you for more than the moment we were having.”_

Niylah says and Clarke nods as she looks down at her hands, for some reason this conversation seems harder than she expected.

_“Even so, I own you an explanation, you deserve that much.”_

The blonde says and Niylah nods as she leans back in her chair. They stay silent for some time and Niylah can see that Clarke is pondering how to continue the conversation. Before the blonde has time to speak again someone approaches their table and places two burgers with fries and two sodas. Clarke looks up to see a smirking Murphy.

_“Jeez princess, when the boss told me you were here with a girl I didn't believe it. Don't you think it's kind of low to show up here with your new girlfriend?”_

The man asks and Clarke glares at him.

_“Fuck off Murphy.”_

_“Wow, have some chill will ya! I just came to feed you with my marvelous food.”_

Murphy says sarcastically as he looks at Niylah and the physical therapist looks at him with a confused expression.

_“Oooh, she doesn't know, does she? I'm Murphy, I work here, and if it wasn't obvious I'm an amazing Chef and a friend of Clarke's for a long time, so if you ever want to know about her you can just ask me whatever you want.”_

Murphy says smirk still on his face and Clarke feels like she wants to punch him.

_“Shut up Murphy, don't you have potatoes to peel and fry or something?”_

_“Alright, alright, I got the message; you want to be alone with your new girl. Enjoy your night ladies.”_

Murphy says winking at Niylah and Clarke groans with a shake of her head. The blonde reporter looks at Niylah who is still looking at Murphy’s retreating figure.

_“I’m sorry, Murphy can be quite an asshole when he wants to be, which quite frankly happens often.”_

_“Yeah I see that.”_

Niylah says carefully and Clarke looks at her as the physical therapist tentatively tries the fries and then the burger, making a satisfying sound of enjoyment, her day was quite chaotic and she hasn't been able to eat properly in hours. Clarke tries the food too and then looks at Niylah.

_“Listen Niylah, even if you figured out what happened I want to tell you my version of the story. I know that I've told you that Lexa saved me, but there's more to it. It's true that she saved me that night, at her own expense but before that we were dating and after the surgery, when Lexa was still in the hospital something changed. A few days after her surgery she didn't allow me to visit her, and that day when I got my cast off and you saw me at the hospital I was completely lost. Lexa had told me a few days before that we were a mistake and that she didn't want to see me, I found out that she was released from the hospital and no one told me where she was.”_

Clarke says in a small voice and stops to get a sense of Niylah’s reaction; the therapist is looking at her with sympathetic eyes and an attentive expression.

_“I know this is not an excuse for my behavior, I was wrong, but Lexa told me to move on, and even though I was mad at her and hurt, I mean I still am, when I saw you and you were so tender and nice, I… I just went for it. But I don't want you to think that I was using you to get information about Lexa; that was never my intention.”_

Clarke says and she gets out of breath and aware that she asked about Lexa enough times for the therapist to think that, and Niylah’s heart squeezes painfully at the hurt in the blonde's eyes. The most idiotic thing is that she recognizes that pain; she saw it in Lexa’s eyes whenever the blonde's name was said. The physical therapist sighs with a shake of her head.

_“That thought never crossed my mind, Clarke, we might not know each other that well but I know you enough to see that you weren't using me to get information about Lexa. And I think I owe you an apology too.”_

Niylah says and Clarke looks quizzically at her as she waits for the physical therapist to continue.

_“Even though we had fun, I realized that your heart wasn't quite in this as I hoped for. And it's okay, I'm not judging you, I guess I took advantage of this situation for myself too. I should have stopped what we had when I noticed that we barely talked.”_

_“You have nothing to apologize for.”_

Clarke says in a small voice and Niylah shakes her head in disagreement.

_“That's the thing, I do. After our first night together and how you reacted when Lexa was on the phone and how Lexa reacted when she heard your voice I knew something was wrong between you two. I saw your hurt even if we didn’t exactly talk about it, I took advantage of how easy it was not realizing how much that situation was breaking you, and Lexa too, maybe even to the point of compromising my work with her.”_

The physical therapist says and Clarke looks at her as Niylah takes a sip of her soda and breathes.

_“This is our story I guess, we’re kind of a rebound for each other, just like when we met that first time and although I can see you beyond that we’re not really on the same page.”_

_“Maybe in the future, we can be more than a rebound. I’m trying to make amends with my past to move on as Lexa told me to.”_

Clarke says in a small voice and Niylah scoffs with a shake of her head.

_“I don’t know what Lexa told you but I’m sure that she didn’t mean it, any of it. I’ve seen Lexa enough times to know her a little. She has always been closed off, since we first met when I had a meeting with her and Becca to plan her recovery, I can’t say much about it but I do believe you’re a key point in Lexa’s recovery even if she doesn’t want to admit it yet.”_

Niylah says and Clarke looks with some incredulity at her, as they eat their burgers Niylah tries to explain better what she meant and by the time Clarke is leaving the bar with Niylah she can’t see Lianna and her mind is working at full speed.

**

The weekend went in a blur for Bellamy and Lexa, between banter and domestic duties the older Blake forced the former detective to do some physical exercises and Lexa reluctantly followed his instructions. It’s around 8 am in the morning when Lexa comes into the kitchen of the cabin to find Bellamy making breakfast for both of them and the man smiles kindly at her upon her arrival. He watches amazed how easily the woman maneuvers the wheelchair around the cabin, especially compared to how she had difficulties in Boston.

_“Hey, what are you up to?”_

Lexa asks as Bellamy shrugs with a fond smile.

_“Sharing a house with Murphy has its perks, not to brag but these waffles will be amazing.”_

Bellamy says as Lexa reaches the table and watches her friend moving around and setting the plates on the table. The brunette takes a bite and moans as Bellamy smiles at her.

_“Wow, these are really good. I see why Echo likes you.”_

_“What can I say? I'm a man of many talents.”_

Bellamy says with a smile and Lexa shakes her head but takes another bite as Bellamy does the same.

_“When are you thinking of going back to the city?”_

Bellamy asks as he looks from the papers on the coffee table to Lexa and the brunette pauses and looks at him.

_“Maybe around Wednesday; if Uzac agrees to meet me on Thursday.”_

Lexa replies easily and Bellamy leans back on his chair to look at Lexa’s reaction.

_“I can stay longer then and give you a ride to the city.”_

The man says carefully and Lexa smiles, she knows Bellamy enjoys the coziness of the cabin and the sense of calm it provides. And although the woman is worried about Clarke and Bellamy’s situation she nods at him.

_“If you're sure you can stay you're welcome to do it.”_

_“Perfect, it's settled then.”_

Bellamy says beaming at Lexa and the detective smiles thankful for the man's company. The older Blake gets up from his chair and starts to clean the table and Lexa shakes her head.

_“You don't have to do that Bellamy, you're my guest after all and you already cooked breakfast.”_

Lexa says and Bellamy shrugs but smiles as he looks to the fireplace.

_“Okay, then I'll get this fire started.”_

Bellamy says and Lexa chuckles with a shake of her head, although the days are not as cold as before Bellamy enjoys having the fire lit and Lexa can't deny that she likes it. She picks the plates and places them in her lap in order to take them to the counter when Bellamy’s phone rings from the coffee table and the man looks at it from his crouching position. The man walks over to pick it up and frowns.

_“Blake here.”_

He says and he frowns more as the other person speaks while Bellamy nods.

_“Yes sir, I will be there.”_

He says assuredly and Lexa turns to him with a curious expression.

_“Can you tell me what the meeting will be about?”_

Bellamy asks carefully and Lexa’s curiosity grows with it.

_“I understand sir, I'll be there.”_

Bellamy says as the call ends and he looks dejectedly at Lexa.

_“Is everything alright?”_

The woman asks and Bellamy shrugs as he places the phone on the table.

_“The IA want me to meet up with them after lunch.”_

_“Are they taking another statement?”_

_“They didn't say, they only said it was in my best interest to be there on time.”_

Bellamy says and Lexa nods as she turns the chair to look better at him.

_“You better get going then.”_

Lexa says with a soft smile, and Bellamy's shoulders hunch forward in defeat.

_“I guess so. I'll just gonna pack my things then.”_

The man says as he moves around the house to pack his things in the bedroom he was using. It surprised him how big the cabin is, it doesn't look that big from the outside, but the cabin has two floors. In the first one, the kitchen and living room are one open space, and then it is Lexa's bedroom which is big enough for someone in a wheelchair to maneuver around and a bathroom, on the second floor is the larger bedroom with a private bathroom and also a small office. A few minutes later Bellamy is in the living room again with a duffel bag on his hand.

_“Let me know if you need anything, I will be back by Wednesday to pick you up and take you to Boston.”_

Bellamy says and Lexa shakes her head with a smile.

_“You don't have to; I'll call a cab or ask Mister Thomas for a ride.”_

Lexa says and Bellamy sighs, apart from Lexa’s cabin there are a few others and Mister Thomas owns three that he usually rents for people in need of an escape from the city and he owns another one where he lives, the man owns a business in Boston too and he goes to the city frequently.

_“Alright call me when you get there and let me know how the meeting with the AI goes.”_

_“Yes boss.”_

Bellamy says jokingly, placing one hand on Lexa’s shoulder and squeezing it softly. And with that the man departs, Lexa watches as the car leaves and then sighs as she moves inside the house and looks around, she won't admit it at loud but she likes to have Bellamy around.

**

It's already dark when the car parks in the available space. The heavy rain that started to fall after lunch only made matters worse. But when a decision is made there's no way of going back even if a short jog from the car to the door leaves the person soaked. There's a dim light coming from the inside and a trembling hand knocks softly on the door.

Inside Lexa is warm and cozy, comfortably sitting on the couch with a folder case on her lap. The sound of the fire and the rain echoing through the windows brings her a sense of calm that is until a soft knock on the door is heard and Lexa jolts in her spot scattering papers all around. She bends down to pick a few as a louder knock on the door is heard again and she cuts a finger with a piece of paper.

_“Fucking bitch.”_

The brunette says as she feels the strong sting on her finger and looks at her thumb to see some blood. Looking around and slightly confused at the loud knocking, especially when the sky seems to be falling down outside, Lexa’s eyes land on the coffee table and spots Bellamy’s phone, it rang a few couple of times since the man left but Lexa didn't want to pry it and left it at the same place Bellamy placed it. The woman chuckles as she moves to the wheelchair and looks at the door.

_“The only reason why you don't forget your head is because it is attached to your body Bellamy.”_

_“Lexa, open the door, I know you're in there, I can see the lights on.”_

Both of them speak at the same time and Lexa freezes on the wheelchair.

_“Clarke?”_

The woman says in a whisper because that voice is too familiar, and Lexa would blame the strong painkillers she had to take in the hospital if it wasn't for the fact that she hasn't taken them in weeks.

_“Please Lexa, let me in.”_

The blonde pleads from the outside as her body starts shaking with cold and anxiety and the former detective rolls her wheelchair towards the door and soon after she is opening it to see an exhausted and drenched blonde on the doorstep. Clarke looks surprised when the door opens and takes a careful and tentative step inside.

The first thing Clarke notices is the warmth that she feels inside, she looks around and Lexa’s perfume with a hint of burning wood invades her nostrils. Then she looks down to see Lexa looking up at her in something akin to relief, surprise and fear all in one. The broody brunette moves in her wheelchair, silently inviting Clarke in to close the door and keep the warmth inside.

Clarke's face is a mix of emotions: happiness, compassion, pity? Lexa can't tell but when blue eyes linger on her wheelchair and how she moves with it, the former detective turns her back to Clarke and clenches her jaw.

_“What are you doing here Clarke? How did you find me?”_

Lexa asks as she inhales deeply and Clarke feels at loss of words. After her dinner with Niylah the blonde reporter set her mind on finding Lexa, she needs to know why the detective pushed her away. Clarke isn't, by all means, a computer expert but after a whole day of looking for it, she found a cabin outside Boston to North under the Woods’ name. The blonde decided that after work that Monday she would seek Lexa and talk to her.

However, now that Clarke is there she can't find the words she needs to, maybe because Lexa’s soft look when she opened the door caught her off guard or maybe is because Lexa’s harsh questions leave the blonde completely baffled to say the least.

Lexa sighs as she turns her wheelchair and sees Clarke trembling in her soaked clothes, the blonde looks around and Lexa thinks back to the several times Bellamy’s phone rang. Maybe the blonde came after him to make amends.

_“Bellamy is not here Clarke; he went to Boston earlier today.”_

_“What? How?”_

The blonde asks struggling to get out of the loop her mind is stuck in and Lexa shakes her head torn between feeling amused or exasperated with the blonde. Knowing that Bellamy was hurt over the fight with his friend, the former detective decides to give Clarke the benefit of the doubt.

_“I know you two had a fight and one with Raven too. Whatever you blame them for, it's on me. I was the one who forbade them from telling anyone where I was.”_

Lexa says and Clarke's eyes land on her with an impassive stare.

_“Why?”_

The blonde asks pulling her arms around her torso to stop herself from shaking and Lexa’s heart breaks over it.

_“You're soaking wet; you need a warm shower and a change of clothes. I have some that will fit you.”_

The former detective says and Clarke looks at her completely dumbfounded, she watches as Lexa maneuvers the wheelchair from the open space of the living room to a small corridor with three doors, two on the left and another on the right. With a heavy heart the blonde watches as Lexa opens the second door on the left to reveal a quite impressive bathroom big enough for Lexa to move in her wheelchair.

_“I'll be right back with a new set of clothes for you.”_

Lexa says as she moves out of the bathroom and closes the door behind her, Clarke can't do much more than strip out of her clothes in a sort of autopilot mode and get inside the shower turning the hot water on. It doesn't take long for Lexa to knock on the door softly.

_“Clarke?”_

The brunette says gently and Clarke understands the shy and reserved tone of the former detective. It would almost be comical to see Lexa like this after all they have shared if it wasn't for the fact that they seem to act as complete strangers.

_“I'm in the shower, you can come in.”_

The blonde says as a tear rolls down her face and Lexa pushes the door open to see a curved body behind the closed curtains. The brunette gulps as she averts her eyes from the blonde and places the clothes on the chair she usually uses to take her shower. She turns her wheelchair around and moves to the door; however, she stops with her hand on the knob and clears her throat.

_“I assume you haven't eaten yet, I'm going to make you something and put your clothes to dry.”_

Lexa says and leaves and Clarke smiles softly. A couple of minutes later she feels warm enough to step out of the shower and sees the clothes Lexa left her. Picking up the clothes to start dressing herself Clarke notices with some surprise that Lexa even got her some underwear. The blonde almost chuckles as she pictures Lexa blushing slightly while doing so.

It doesn't take long for Clarke to go back to the living room. She looks around and frowns upon not seeing Lexa, taking one step further she looks around and sees Lexa sitting on the floor gathering a small pile of papers in her hands. The reporter looks down with an uncomfortable knot in her throat as Lexa places the papers on the couch and moves to push her body onto it. Acting on instinct the blonde moves and tries to help Lexa but the brunette shakes her head.

_“I don't need your help.”_

Lexa says harshly and Clarke takes a step back as she watches the effort the former detective puts into getting back on the couch. The brunette sighs softly once she is comfortably sitting on the couch again and she looks up to see Clarke still looking at her with a pained expression.

_“I made you a salad and orange juice; you also have warm soup in the microwave.”_

Lexa says diverting her gaze from the blonde and at Lexa’s soft and caring tone the blonde can't do much more than follow her instructions. As Clarke eats they stay silent with Lexa stealing glances at the blonde once in a while. Clarke remains beautiful as ever and her face shows no signs of what she endured at Cage’s hands.

When she finishes her meal Clarke leans back in the chair patting her belly and looking around finally paying some attention. The space is wide and doesn't offer any obstacles for Lexa to move freely in her wheelchair. The fireplace offers warmth and a sense of comfort and coziness that Clarke highly appreciates. With a nod, she moves from the chair and picks up the dishes as Lexa looks up at her.

_“You don't have to do that, I think you should go to bed to prevent you from getting sick.”_

_“I need to talk to you, Lexa.”_

Clarke says softly and Lexa’s eyes land on her for the briefest of seconds as if Lexa was actually considering it but then Lexa shakes her head.

_“No, what you need is to rest. You're obviously not going anywhere this late and with this weather. You can take the bedroom upstairs, you might need to make the bed, you'll find clean bedsheets in the adjacent room and in the closet you'll find old pajamas and pick warm ones. The fire provides warmth but it dies overnight and you need to be warm.”_

Lexa says in an almost detached tone but Clarke can see the worry behind green eyes.

_“What about you?”_

_“My room is downstairs for obvious reasons!”_

Lexa says pointing to the wheelchair with a sad smile and Clarke although reluctantly nods. She had many things to tell Lexa but all her previous thoughts about how the conversation would go are thrown out of the window now that she is with Lexa. Not wanting to prolong this weird dynamic they have going on the blonde turns on her heels hoping that by the morning she is ready to talk.

**

Surprisingly Clarke sleeps like she hasn't been able to in a few weeks. Usually the blonde's sleep is plagued with dreams of Lexa, of fights and heated make-out sessions that more often than not leaves the blonde feeling tired in the mornings. Silently she moves around the room taking in the scent of wood and polished furniture, she moves towards the window and surveys the view of the forest around her. Noticing the bathroom she decides to wash her face and take a quick shower.

When she is dressed she goes to the kitchen to find Lexa at the table having her breakfast. The brunette looks up and smiles softly.

_“Good morning Clarke.”_

The former detective says gently and Clarke is slightly taken aback by it. She mumbles something and Lexa chuckles slightly and points to the kitchen counter.

_“You have freshly made coffee over there. I didn't know what you would eat so you can have whatever you feel like. The toaster is near the coffee machine and there are some eggs in the fridge if you want something else.”_

Lexa says and Clarke resists the urge to smile, Lexa still remembers that the blonde can't quite function before her coffee. The blonde decides to have some toast and a large cup of coffee and Lexa watches amazed at how at ease the blonde moves around the cabin. A few minutes later Clarke is taking her place at the table and drinks a sip of the coffee as Lexa looks at her.

_“How is your hand?”_

The former detective asks gently and Clarke looks at her and then at her right hand making some movements.

_“Good as new, Niylah gave me a list of exercises that helped me regain my strength.”_

Clarke says and Lexa turns her head as her face turns stoic.

_“Of course she did.”_

The brunette says bitterly and Clarke regrets the casual tone in which she mentioned the therapist's name.

_“ Lexa, we need to talk.”_

The blonde says trying to make eye contact with Lexa but the brunette just places her plate on her lap and moves over to the sink to place it down.

_“We don't have anything to talk about Clarke.”_

Lexa says trying her hardest not to let Clarke in any more than she already did and Clarke shakes her head.

_“Of course we do. Look at us? We're acting as if we were strangers.”_

_“I appreciate the fact that you came here to check on me, but you have seen me now, I'm still in this damned wheelchair and I'm not going to be out of it anytime soon. Besides you have moved on, I'm sure your girlfriend is worried about you. Just finish your breakfast and then you can leave.”_

Lexa says moving to the living room side of the cabin and turning the TV on and Clarke gets up from her chair and glares at Lexa.

_“I'm not leaving until we have a proper conversation Lexa.”_

The blonde says at the same time her phone starts ringing and Lexa turns around to look at Clarke’s decided expression.

_“Aren't you going to get that? It might be your girlfriend.”_

Lexa says and she doesn't even need to look at Clarke to see that it was a low blow but she does, she looks as Clarke's eyes shine with pain and then as she looks to Lexa with exasperation.

_“She's not my girlfriend.”_

Clarke says between greeted teeth and picks up the blasting phone seeing Octavia’s name on the screen.

_“What is it O?”_

The blonde asks harshly and Octavia says something from the other side of the line.

_“Everything is fine O, I'm still with Lexa. I spent the night here.”_

Clarke can hear the small gasp her friend lets out before making another question.

_“Is not like that O, listen can I call you later?”_

Clarke listens to her friend as her expression turns concerned and Lexa watches with a curious expression.

_“Wait! What? Yeah, yeah I understand. Okay, I'll be there.”_

The blonde says as she ends the call and looks at Lexa, who is still looking at her with something akin to apprehension written on her beautiful features.

_“I have to go, but we're not done, I'll be back.”_

_“Don't, you have no reasons to come back.”_

_“Don't do this Lexa, please, don't push me away again. Something happened at work and I really have to go, but I will be back.”_

The blonde says assuredly and Lexa looks around and glances at a bag on the couch.

_“Your clothes are in that bag, cleaned and dry. I don't want to burden you but can you take Bellamy’s phone? I'm sure he needs it.”_

The former detective says softly and Clarke sighs, she reads Lexa well enough to know what she is doing here, even if she is trying her best to keep Clarke away she can't help but try to make the blonde make amends with her friends, Lexa knows how much Clarke loves them.

Silently the blonde nods and picks her clothes neatly folded inside the bag and Bellamy’s phone too. Lexa moves from her spot rolling the wheels towards the door and opens it for Clarke, the blonde is about to go out of the door when Lexa looks up at her.

_“Clarke?”_

The detective asks softly and Clarke's heart makes a flip-flop under the anxiety and excitement of hearing her name rolling in Lexa’s mouth like that.

_“Yeah?”_

_“I don't want to inconvenience you, but can you text me when you get to Boston, the weather is slightly better but I would feel more relieved if you would do so.”_

At the formal tone in the brunette’s voice Clarke smiles and nods, even if Lexa is trying to keep her stoic and cold façade on, Clarke can see through the gaps in her walls. This is the same caring and gentle detective she remembers, this is her Lexa. With one last glance at Lexa in her wheelchair the blonde leaves already thinking of when she will be back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you have enjoyed this chapter and please I ask you to as always hit me with your comments kudos and love.  
> Remember folks: wash your hands and stay home!


	5. Threats an tough love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, welcome back!  
> I hope you are all alright and doing the best you can to keep yourselves and your loved ones protected and safe.  
> I also want to thank all of you for the amazing response to this second part of the story. Your comments, hits and kudos warm my heart and I appreciated the words you have been sharing with me.  
> I have close to zero knowledge on bombs and chemistry so I apologize if my fic is not as accurate on that specific areas, I based most of it on cop shows I watch and quick searches on Google.  
> This chapter starts with a steamy moment from one of my favorite couples: Raven and Luna so be advised! ;)  
> Now, let's move on to the part where I just wish you all the best and I hope you enjoy! :)

**Chapter 5 – Threats and tough love**

Luna wakes up to the feeling of Raven’s body pressed against hers and smiles. The curly-haired detective can’t quite believe that the Latina is about to move in with her, Luna was harboring that desire for some time now, but she didn’t want to pressure her girlfriend. Raven moves behind Luna and tightens her hold on the detective’s waist with a sound of contentment. The morning is slowly coming and although Raven was never a morning person she is getting used to this new routine of waking up early to go to work.

_“What time is it?”_

Raven asks groggily and Luna chuckles eyeing the alarm clock on her bedside table.

_“It’s a little after 7 am.”_

The curly-haired detective answers in a sweet voice and Raven hums as she moves impossibly closer towards the detective in the bed.

_“Hmm, we still have time then.”_

The Latina says knowingly as she places one kiss on the back of Luna’s neck and the detective understands now why Raven woke up so early. Luna rolls over in the bed and looks at Raven with an amused expression.

_“Do you have anything in mind that requires time?”_

_“Actually I do!”_

Raven says as she leans in to kiss Luna’s lips, the detective moans at the kiss and Raven doesn’t need more encouragement to place one of her legs between Luna’s applying some pressure to the detective’s center.

_“You’re in a good mood.”_

_The curly-haired detective says with a sigh, feeling Raven’s bare thigh rubbing on her weak spot, Raven bites Luna’s bottom lip with a dirty moan as one hand starts massaging one of Luna’s breasts._

_“You could say that.”_

The Latina comments casually as her mouth travels from Luna’s lips towards her neck and Luna sighs with desire rolling over in the bed and pulling Raven on top of her. Raven adjusts her position and looks down at Luna’s dark brown eyes amazed at what she reads there: desire, passion, and love and although Raven hasn’t said those three words out loud she knows Luna sees them in her eyes too.

Silently the Latina starts kissing the detective’s lips eliciting moans from the woman beneath her at the same time their bodies start undulating in each other. Luna holds Raven’s ass as the Latina grinds into her softly and slowly.

_“Fuck, this feels good.”_

Luna says as Raven’s mouth travels from her windpipe towards her breasts and by now Luna is aware of how much Raven enjoys to tease her there, to suck the hardening nipples, to twirl her tongue around them as she feels them getting harder in her mouth and under her ministrations and Luna loves it and her body answers for her canting her hips higher to seek more contact with Raven’s body.

As the sun peeks through the blinds Raven takes her time mapping Luna’s skin and curves with her lips and tongue. With each lick and soft bite, the detective grows restless, and Raven takes in all the soft moans and whispers coming from the woman with her. As Raven moves down on Luna’s body she feels the detective’s hands in her hair as Luna guides her to where she needs her.

Raven licks the whole length of Luna’s sex and the woman jerks her body and she buries her head in the pillows biting her own lip in an attempt to muffle her moans. Raven is enjoying the reaction she is provoking and repeats her actions once more, placing her hands on the detective’s hips to keep her steady. The scent of arousal and the heat coming from Luna’s center is an indication of how turned on the detective is and Raven as usual feels empowered by the fact that she can cause such a strong effect on someone else’s body, a woman’s body nonetheless. Looking up at Luna to find her with her eyes closed Raven doesn’t waste much time and starts kissing the detective’s labia moving her lips towards the already swollen nerve that is Luna’s clit.

The salty tangy taste of Luna only makes Raven eager to please her girlfriend, she sucks at the detective’s clit and licks it and Luna tries to move in search of more contact, and although Raven loves to tease her girlfriend, she feels her own sex throbbing with need for more. Sneaking one hand beneath the curly-haired woman’s ass, she lifts it slightly and gives an abroad lick, teasing Luna’s entrance with her tongue.

_“Oh, fuck, Raven please…”_

Luna says feeling the edge coming closer and closer and Raven moves her mouth to the detective’s clit once more as she uses one finger to spread the wetness over Luna’s entrance and pushes one finger easily inside. Luna’s body twists in pleasure but Raven knows her girlfriend needs more. She moves her finger inside her in and out and slowly building her up for more. As Luna’s movements grow erratic, and her moans louder Raven adjusts her position to be able to thrust two fingers inside her.

_“Fuck, fuck. Oh god.”_

Luna almost screams and Raven increases the pace, feeling as Luna’s walls clench around her fingers and the detective’s body starts tensing at the familiar pressure forming in the pit of her stomach and cursing through her whole body as if it was electricity.

Raven knows it won’t take much longer for her girlfriend to come undone by her hands, and as usual that fuels her on more and more. There’s something about being able to have a woman, to pleasure her and have her so vulnerable that Raven never believed it would feel so fucking good and satisfying. She sucks Luna’s clit once more as she presses two fingers inside her curling them slightly in search of that magical spot and with one final thrust she feels her girlfriend reaching the edge and jumping from it.

Luna´s body twists as she arches her back, causing her to tighten her hold on the Latina’s hair, Luna’s mouth forms a perfect O, and a strangled moan reverberates in her throat, it is raspy and dirty and a wave of Luna’s essences coats Raven’s hand and mouth. The Latina silently eases Luna from her high as the detective’s body becomes jelly and falls almost numbly back in the bed. After tasting her girlfriend’s juices Raven looks up cleaning her chin with the back of her hand and Luna opens her eyes to look at her.

_“Come here.”_

The detective says still trying to even her breathing and Raven does as she was told and moves in the bed placing her body fully on top of Luna’s who caresses Raven’s cheek gently before pulling her down for a passionate kiss. The kiss starts slowly but soon enough Luna’s hands are roaming over Raven’s body, and her hands grab the Latina’s round breasts squeezing and massaging them at the same time Raven grinds down slower trying to get some friction on her own center, Luna reads her well enough to know what her girlfriend needs. She bites and sucks at Raven’s neck as her hands move to Raven’s back and scratch slightly from the back of her neck to her butt.

The detective feels Raven move with more intent against her and smirks into the Latina’s olive skin. Encouraging her girlfriend’s movements, Luna grabs Raven’s butt cheeks pulling her down to her, bringing their bodies impossibly closer.

_“I need more.”_

Raven says in between moans and gasps and Luna nods into her shoulder blade sneaking one hand between their bodies. She rubs Raven’s clit feeling a small patch of hair and with one finger she feels the wetness on her girlfriend’s center.

_“Fuck, you’re so wet, baby.”_

Luna says, knowing exactly the effect her words cause on the Latina; the detective learned early on in their relationship that Raven rather enjoys the exchange of few words during sex.

_“Fuck baby.”_

Raven says and Luna bites her on the shoulder as one hand grabs Raven’s ass and the other starts to work on her clit. Luna’s fingers move in circles as her fingers apply pressure on the swollen nerve and Raven moves slightly spreading her legs wider for Luna and the detective doesn’t hesitate and pushes one finger inside her.

_“You’re so tight, so fucking hot.”_

Luna says once more and Raven places her hands on Luna’s shoulders as she lifts her torso so that she is sitting in Luna’s lap while riding her finger. Luna watches as Raven moves on top of her, round breasts bouncing and inviting and Luna’s hand leaves Raven’s butt to grab one and squeeze it, brushing her thumb over the hardened nipple.

_“Oh fuck, baby more.”_

Raven pleads and Luna smirks slightly as she adjusts her hand and pushes two fingers inside the Latina causing her to moan loudly in pleasure. Raven’s eyes are tightly shut as she enjoys the waves of pleasure that run through her body with Luna’s fingers inside her. The detective’s hand starts to feel a bit numb and Luna bites her own bottom lip as she moves her hand from Raven’s breast to her butt once more and encourages her to move faster and harder. The Latina does so as Luna starts to curl her fingers inside her with every thrust she makes.

_“Oh god, oh hmmm.”_

The Latina says as Luna hits the right spot in the spongy wall inside her and Raven digs her nails into Luna’s skin.

_“That’s it, baby, come for me.”_

Luna demands in a sexy voice and Raven is gone as she slams her body against Luna’s hand feeling her own walls convulsing and clenching around Luna’s fingers. The Latina makes a guttural moan as her essences spill over Luna’s hand and she falls on top of her girlfriend. Luna sighs and kisses Raven’s forehead caressing her back to soothe her girlfriend from her blissful orgasm.

_“Good morning.”_

Luna says in a soft voice and Raven chuckles as she rolls off from Luna’s body but looks at her with still dazed brown eyes.

_“Good morning indeed.”_

The Latina says at the same time one of their phones starts ringing and Luna blindly reaches for the bedside table to for the device.

_“Rivers here.”_

The detective says and she listens to the other person as Raven looks intently at her.

_“What? When?”_

The detective asks and by the way she jolts up to a sitting position Raven can tell is serious.

_“We’re on our way.”_

Luna says as she ends the call and looks at her alarm clock to see the time and to realize that is already way past 8 am, they got so caught up in each other that she didn’t even notice how fast time went by.

_“What is it, Luna?”_

Raven asks curiously and carefully and Luna sighs as she looks at Raven with a neutral expression, Raven can tell that the detective is masking her surprise and worries.

_“Jaha called the station. They found a suspicious package with Clarke’s name on it. They want us both at Arkadia.”_

The detective says and before she has time to assuage her girlfriend that everything is under control, Raven is moving out of the bed saying that she will take a quick shower and Luna can’t do much more than nod and starts to prepare her things too.

**

By the time Clarke arrives in Boston she can still smell Lexa’s scent on the clothes she is using. The trip was not entirely for nothing but the blonde can't shake the frustration she is feeling, watching Lexa moving around in the wheelchair took a toll on her. But it wasn't just that, Lexa pushed her away once more, cutting Clarke off from any chance of talking with her. And although Clarke could see through her walls, she couldn't reach out to her. It didn't help that the blonde mentioned Niylah’s name and judging by how Lexa reacted to the therapist's name the blonde can only imagine how much of a hard time she was giving Niylah.

The reporter parks her car and looks at the commotion around Arkadia’s building, Octavia said it was serious and Clarke can see now that her roommate wasn't kidding. Stepping out of the car Clarke crosses the street and looks around to see if she can spot not only the source of the situation but also Octavia. A man walks up to her and places himself in front of her.

_“I’m sorry ma’am but I can't let you pass.”_

The officer in blue says and Clarke looks at him in disbelief.

_“But I work there. I'm a reporter from Arkadia News.”_

The blonde says opening her purse and the man shakes his head apologetically at her.

_“Even if I check your credentials I still can't let you go inside the perimeter.”_

The officer says once more and Clarke looks around once more and then at her purse to search her phone.

_“I was requested to be here, what's this all about?”_

Clarke says getting quite frustrated and another person comes closer.

_“It's alright Thompson; the detectives want to talk to Miss Griffin.”_

The familiar voice says and Clarke looks up to see Bellamy in his pristine police uniform. The older officer nods at Bellamy as he lifts the yellow tape for Clarke to pass and the blonde looks at Bellamy as he motions for her to walk with him.

_“You're back at work?”_

The blonde asks with some incredulity and Bellamy nods with a relieved smile.

_“I was reinstated yesterday. I would have called you but I don't have my phone!”_

The older Blake says and Clarke's eyes widen as she remembers that she's the one with it.

_“Oh yeah, about that, here, I have it.”_

The blonde says opening her purse and fishes Bellamy’s phone out of it. The man takes it to see several calls he made from Echo’s phone to see if Lexa would pick them up along with other notifications and then looks at Clarke.

_“Wait! How can you…? I left it at…”_

The man stops in his tracks cutting himself off and the blonde looks at him.

_“You left it at Lexa’s, the cabin. I know I'm just coming from there.”_

The reporter says and a tensed and uncomfortable silence settles between them, before Bellamy has the chance to speak, Clarke is shaking her head with a rueful expression.

_“I’m still mad at you, Raven and Lexa, but I owe you and Ray an apology.”_

The blonde says as she takes a deep breath and before she can continue a voice is heard from behind Bellamy.

_“What the hell is taking you so long Blake?”_

Anya says as she comes into view and Clarke looks baffled at her.

_“Anya? What are you doing here?”_

Clarke asks, looking at the FBI agent completely confused about what is happening and Anya smirks at her.

_“I've heard that Arkadia was giving away chocolates and came to see it for myself.”_

The agent says and Clarke glares at her, clearly upset not only because she was forced to leave Lexa all alone in the cabin without having a proper conversation with her but also because of the commotion she finds outside her workplace.

_“Cut the crap, Anya.”_

_“Wow, is nice to see you too grumpy cat, did you fall out of the bed or something?”_

Anya asks sarcastically and although Clarke hasn't seen her in several weeks she can say that Anya still remains faithful to herself. The FBI agent looks at Bellamy who shakes his head as if to tell her that he hasn't told Clarke anything yet and Anya looks at the blonde reporter again.

_“Alright, you got a suspicious package and for safety reasons, your Chief Editor called the cops.”_

That gets Clarke's attention and she narrows her eyes at Anya.

_“The police department, but last I checked and your blue jacket with yellow letters indicates you are here under the name of the FBI.”_

_“What clever of you to notice, I'm teaming up with the Kru.”_

Anya retorts back as if it was obvious and Clarke looks at Bellamy who nods, the blonde is closer to understanding now what is going on but before she can inquire more about it the FBI agent starts walking and looks over her shoulder.

_“Okay, less talking and more walking.”_

The FBI agent says and Bellamy shakes his head but starts walking behind her eyeing Clarke to make sure she is doing the same. The blonde sighs and silently looks around, she spots Miller and Roan talking to Octavia and a few feet away from them she sees Jaha talking to Indra and Luna.

**

_“And prior to this, you haven't received anything else?”_

Luna asks eyeing Jaha carefully and the man makes a pensive expression as he thinks back in time and then shakes his head.

_“No, we knew of the threats being made about Nia’s court case but more than what we know about what went down, which quite frankly is not much since the police department hasn’t made a formal statement yet, we haven't gotten any other information._

The man says looking defiantly at Indra and the Chief almost rolls her eyes at him, Luna, however, stays focused on her task even if she understands the undertone in the journalist’s words.

_“So, just to recap, you found the package and called us in.”_

_“As I mentioned before, the security officer found the package after he arrived, I'm sure he can tell you more about it, but I think that someone dropped it off when he went to turn the lights off. I'm sure you'll be able to see more on the CCTV.”_

Jaha says as he looks at the building and at Luna again.

_“Since the package was addressed to Miss Griffin, he kept it on his desk in the lobby waiting for her to get here. When he realized that she should be here already but he hadn't seen her he called me to let me know that a package for one of my reporters had been delivered.”_

Jaha says as he frowns and looks at his fancy wrist watch with a nod.

_“That was more or less around 9 am, I came down to check it myself, it's not uncommon to get mail but there was no delivery person, no papers signed and I was curious and slightly suspicious. When I saw that the package had only a small envelope attached to it with Miss Griffin’s name on it I decided that for the safety of everyone it would be better to call you in. Prior to this, there were no phone calls or any other forms of communication.”_

Jaha says and Luna nods as she closes her notebook and looks at Indra who takes a step closer and eyes the man curiously.

_“Where is Miss Griffin at the moment?”_

Chief Indra asks and Jaha sighs in relief, when he saw the package and called the police he asked Octavia to make sure Clarke was alright.

_“I asked Miss Blake to call her; I assume she's on her way here.”_

_“She was working?”_

Luna asks and the man shakes his head.

_“No, she asked me for a day off to take care of personal affairs, I've known Clarke for long enough to know that she had some urgent matters to take care so I gave her a day off but told her to be on call in case we needed her.”_

Jaha explains calmly and Luna nods as she looks at Indra to see if the Chief has any questions left for the man when Indra remains silent Luna looks at Jaha again.

_“Thank you, Mister Jaha, I think we have everything we need for now.”_

_“How soon do you think we can go back to the inside of the building?”_

Jaha asks and Luna looks at Indra and the Chief checks her phone.

_“The bomb squad is clearing the building but it won't take much longer probably.”_

The Chief says and the man nods as he looks around and spots Clarke walking in their direction.

_“Chief? Clarke is here.”_

Anya says and Indra turns around to face her, she watches as the reporter stops behind Anya and beside Bellamy and looks around with some apprehension. Indra and Luna take a step forward as Anya leads Jaha away with Bellamy.

_“We're sorry we had to make you come here Clarke, your Chief Editor told us that you were taking a day off.”_

Luna says gently and Clarke nods as she looks around.

_“I can see this is serious but what exactly happened?”_

The blonde asks carefully and Luna fishes her phone from her jacket and looks at Clarke.

_“A package was found earlier this morning in the lobby of the building. Your Chief Editor upon inspecting it thought it was suspicious and called us. The only indication it had on it was this one.”_

Luna says and shows Clarke her phone, in the screen Clarke sees a photo of a paper with her name on it “Fragile, to Clarke Griffin”, the bold letters don't leave any margin to doubt it, the package was meant for her.

_“And what is inside?”_

_“We're still waiting on the bomb squad to tell us, for everyone's safety we cleared the building. Did you receive any threats lately that we should take into account?”_

Luna asks gently and Clarke takes a second to think, then the blonde shakes her head slightly and looks from Indra to Luna.

_“No, not recently, I've received a few in the past but not recently. I think the last time I got one was when I was working with Octavia on Nia’s case. But that was months ago and Octavia got some too. Do you think this is related to what happened in the courthouse?”_

Clarke asks, suddenly thinking back to that day and Luna looks at her.

_“We don't know yet. Why do you ask?”_

The curly-haired detective asks and Clarke sighs as she looks at her.

_“I don't know; we knew the trial was being threatened, and they chose to make those threats a reality on the day I testified.”_

Clarke says and Luna nods along to her reasoning. Luna looks at Indra who makes a small motion with her head and takes step towards Clarke and looks at her.

_“We don't really know yet Clarke, but what you say makes some sense, we're not sure what the people behind this want or who they are, if it's just one person or more but I advise you to be careful; you and Octavia of course. I know you two pay attention to the details so I trust that you will tell us if something comes up.”_

Indra says in a serious tone and Clarke doesn't even need to ask anything else because she knows exactly what Indra is trying to tell her. Even if Clarke is moving on past the trauma over what happened with Cage she knows that if something happens she has to report it immediately instead of trying to solve it herself.

_“Of course, I will tell you if something happens.”_

The blonde says and Indra nods as Luna’s phone beeps with a notification. The detective looks at it and then at her Chief.

_“Raven and Fox want to see us Chief.”_

The curly-haired detective says and Indra looks around and then at Clarke.

_“You can go and meet your Chief and Octavia, I'm certain that we're going to clear the building soon.”_

Indra says and points Clarke in the direction of her colleagues and Clarke smiles and turns away as Indra and Luna start walking in Raven’s direction.

**

Raven watches as the team packs the samples that they will be carrying to the lab into the car. The sun is bright and warm and she looks through her sunglasses to see Fox walking in her direction. The officers in blue are still managing the crowd that surrounds the building’s entrance and Raven can see that despite the curiosity everyone is being cautious about their approach to the police officers.

_“We're almost ready to go.”_

Fox says looking at Raven and the Latina nods as she looks at her work colleague.

_“Great, I can’t wait to see personally what your fuss was all about with this device.”_

_“This one is a bitch. These are weird times we're living in at the moment.”_

Fox says dramatically and Raven chuckles, Fox is pragmatic and professional but she has a tendency to be almost theatrically dramatic sometimes and for some reason, Raven finds it funny as hell. They watch in silence for a while as their colleagues pack up everything in the car’s trunk.

_“Your friend was lucky to not be here today. We had no idea of what would happen if she opened the package by herself.”_

Fox says, looking at Raven and the Latina nods as she thinks about Clarke. They haven't talked in days and Raven was harsh in her words but that doesn't mean that she doesn't care about her friend.

_“We know it wouldn't be pretty.”_

Raven says casually to mask her worries and Fox nods and looks around with keen eyes.

_“I don't understand though, why target Clarke Griffin? I mean, I know she has made some people uncomfortable with her work. Even so, targeting Nia or the Judge I can understand, but a reporter? As far as I know, she hasn't done anything wrong.”_

Fox says and Raven looks at her through her sunglasses and narrows her eyes.

_“Are you assuming this is related to the courthouse?”_

Raven asks seriously and Fox turns to her carefully.

_“Aren't you doing the same?”_

The young woman asks wisely and Raven sighs with a nod of her head.

_“If you guys taught me something is that there are no coincidences in this line of duty.”_

Raven says and Fox nods, she might be young in age but she has been on the job for enough time to agree with that.

_“Alright, boss we're good to go.”_

Sterling says with a smile as he approaches Raven and Fox and the Latina chuckles with a shake of her head.

_“Although I do enjoy the title I think you are confusing me with Sergeant Shumway.”_

Raven says with an easy smile as the Sergeant looks at her with an amused smile.

_“I might be older and have more years of experience but you with all of your Ph.D. degrees and stuff are probably the boss here. Plus you’re far prettier than me for Sterling to be confusing us.”_

The Sergeant says and the team laughs at the easy banter, Sergeant Shumway stops in front of Raven and points with his thumb at the cars behind him.

_“We have everything we need to work in the lab; can you debrief Chief Indra while we take care of the transportation?”_

The older man asks and Raven nods as she takes out her phone to text Luna.

_“I'll tell them to order the release of the perimeter too.”_

At Raven’s words, the Sergeant smiles and turns away and Raven doesn't waste any time and texts Luna. It doesn't take long for the curly-haired detective to be by Raven’s side with Chief Indra with her.

_“What's the status?”_

Chief Indra asks looking around noticing that Sterling and Sergeant Shumway are not around and Raven looks at Fox to let her do the talking.

_“The building is clear Chief, you can lift the perimeter. The only device that was found was the one with Miss Griffin's name on it. It wasn't exactly a bomb but we can say it was something with a chemical in it. Our team is already on their way to the lab and probably by the end of the day we will have a preliminary report to present.”_

Fox says assuredly and Indra nods as she looks at Luna.

_“Okay, tell everyone to pack up and let's go. I want to have a briefing meeting with the team at the station.”_

Indra says as she turns on her heels and starts to walk away. Raven looks at Luna and the detective smiles kindly at her.

_“Clarke is fine, I just spoke to her; she had no idea of what was happening.”_

Luna says and Raven nods with a relieved sigh; she looks at Fox and smiles.

_“Let's go then.”_

The Latina says and Fox places her sunglasses on and starts to walk away as Raven looks once more at Luna, the curly-haired detective smiles and reaches out for Raven’s hand squeezing it for comfort.

_“I'll see you at the station.”_

The detective says and Raven smiles at the soft and reassuring touch.

**

The common room of the Kru is buzzing with the people inside working. Indra walks inside the room and looks around to see Anya and Luna rearranging the white board, writing keywords and question marks along with some pictures; Echo, Roan and Miller are placing copies of files on the available desks and Aden is on the phone.

As the Chief walks further inside the room the whispered words die down and she clears her throat as she turns around near the door of the private office and waits for Aden to finish his call.

_“Alright Kru, I know we had a long morning but where exactly are we with the investigation at the moment?”_

Indra asks as Aden places the phone on the table and Roan looks at Luna.

_“We have looked into some of these recent cases that belonged to Judge Pike, so far a few names popped up but none that we can pursue because all the plausible suspects are in jail.”_

_“We are also looking for Nia’s known former associates that the FBI and the Police department haven't caught up with yet.”_

Luna and Anya say completing their sentences and Indra sighs.

_“What about the events of this morning? Are we closer to understanding what happened?”_

Indra asks as she looks around and Echo hands her a folder and looks at the Chief quizzically.

_“The only direct link we have between what happened this morning and the courthouse is that Clarke was at the courthouse too. Although I can't see why someone would be targeting Judge Pike and Clarke both at the same time? The only person with reasons to be targeting Clarke would be Nia.”_

Echo says and gives Roan a sideways glance, the man gulps uncomfortably but nods and Echo looks at Indra again.

_“Clarke is a key witness of the trial, she studied Nia’s illegal activities in detail along with Octavia, and they gathered a lot of information. Taking Clarke away from the trial would only benefit Nia, however, and since from our angle Nia is a victim too and has been targeted too we can't really make sense of what is going on yet.”_

Echo says at the same time Aden stands up from his leaning position on the desk and walks over to the printer to get a page someone just sent him. The young officer reads the information on it and walks over in the direction of the Chief.

_“This doesn't explain why Clarke was targeted but I was on the phone with the director of the prison and we have some new information on one the names of our list of plausible suspects.”_

Aden says handing over the page to Indra who takes it and looks at Aden so he can explain to the rest of the team what is on the page.

_“We have a name that fits in with the events at the courthouse; his name is Edward Davis, also known as Dax. He is a former firefighter, convicted by a trial of unethical conduct and arson. Dax purposely started fires in the neighborhood of his firehouse to increase the work of his station. He has knowledge of how to plant a bomb and he was convicted in a trial that Judge Pike presided over. He is out now on parole.”_

Aden says and Indra looks around to her team as Aden places Dax’s picture on the board.

_“Alright, good lead Aden. Echo and Roan get his address and bring him for questioning. Luna and Anya get his file and see if his path had crossed with Clarke and Octavia. Miller, is there any news on the testimonies of the witnesses in the courthouse?”_

Indra asks and the man nods as he picks a list of names to show to his Chief.

_“There’s a list of people who claimed to have seen some suspicious movements that day, I’m cross-checking information with Monty to see if anything comes out from the surveillance footage. It is hard to tell which one of these testimonies are credible or not due to the stress some of the witnesses were in on that day.”_

_“Alright, call whoever you need to, and ask some of the patrol officers to work with you if you need any help. In fact, call Blake to work with you and do it according to the books, anyone that you think needs to clarify something in their testimony, needs to come here.”_

_“Yes, Chief.”_

Miller says with a grateful sigh, working with Bellamy is a good idea because they know each other well enough to make a good team and although the man is still a rookie Miller knows of his ambitions to be a part of the Kru in the future. Besides, more help on the case and considering all the information Miller has in his hands is definitely needed. With everything settled Indra nods as she enters the office that once belonged to Gustus.

**

_“Wow, this is amazing.”_

Raven says as she studies under the microscope one of the samples her team recovered from the device in the Arkadia building and Fox looks at her.

_“What is?”_

Fox asks as Raven steps aside from her spot and motions for the young woman to see it for herself, her partner peeks through the lenses and gasps.

_“Wow, amazing.”_

She says and Raven smirks as she looks at Fox and watches as her lab partner walks over to her desk and writes some notes down in order for them to be able to make a preliminary report.

_“Whoever did this knows about chemistry.”_

Fox says after a few minutes in silence and upon reading briefly her notes and Raven nods as she places her hands in the white lab coat pockets.

_“Hey ladies, do you need a new pair of eyes here?”_

Lincoln says as he walks into the lab with a gentle smile and Raven smiles at him, since she started working at the station she had the chance to get to know Octavia’s boyfriend a little better and although they don’t work together in the same area they always go to each other’s labs and offices to make a quick visit.

_“Yeah, do you want to look at that microscope over there and tell us what you see?”_

Raven says and Lincoln nods as he takes a step closer and peeks through the lenses. The kind doctor adjusts the lenses and narrows his eyes at what he sees when he is more or less certain of what the chemical in the sample is, he looks at Fox and Raven.

_“Wow, this is from the samples you gathered at Arkadia today?”_

_“Yeah, from the device we dismantled this morning.”_

Fox says and Lincoln nods as he peeks once more and then looks at the two women in the lab.

_“This is a bit out of my expertise, but I think I see anthrax and sarin?”_

The man half asks half states and Raven nods at him.

_“That is correct, the gas is definitely sarin but there are particles of anthrax too.”_

Raven says and Lincoln shakes his head as he scratches the back of his neck, Raven can see the worry creeping over to the man’s gentle features.

_“Alright then, I’m actually relieved of my duties so whatever you need I’m here to help.”_

Lincoln says and Fox smiles as she takes a step closer to another table with several devices there.

_“You can help us make this experiment Raven was thinking about. We can see some similarities between the devices we found at the courthouse to the one we found today, so Raven thought about replicating the devices in order to see if the signature in them is the same and to have a better idea about how they work when set off.”_

Fox says with some excitement and Lincoln smiles kindly at her, from what he has heard from Raven’s friends he already knew that the Latina has a tendency to figure out things by trying them herself. What Lincoln wasn’t expecting was that the always serious and well behaved Fox would actually enjoy so much having Raven as a partner as she does. Raven, however, shakes her head slightly and looks at Lincoln.

_“You’re welcome to stay if you want to, but since you’re free, do you think you can maybe go to their place and see if they are okay?”_

Raven inquires softly and Lincoln doesn’t even need to ask about whom Raven is talking about to know she means Octavia and Clarke; he just smiles as he nods and looks at Fox.

_“Sorry Fox, I know you want me to see you two in action but it seems that I have other plans.”_

_“The only reason why you’re off the hook here is because I actually think your girlfriend is nice.”_

Fox replies back to Lincoln’s friendly banter, and Raven scoffs and looks at her lab partner in mischief.

_“Wow, did you just admitted to finding someone other than me to be nice? I’m in shock.”_

Raven says and Fox punches her lightly on the shoulder.

_“Well, firstly I don’t think is hard to be nicer than you, and second I actually think she was nicer than the other girl she was with, what’s her name again?”_

Fox says trailing off and pretending not to remember the name of the other journalist who spoke to them when they went to Arkadia, and Lincoln pauses near the door and looks at Fox and Raven with curiosity written in his eyes.

_“Oh come on Fox, you might fool a lot of people but you don’t fool me, I know that you remember exactly Monroe’s name, you even gave your squad bomb card to her.”_

_“Wow, are you sure you weren’t exposed to some fumes or something?”_

Lincoln says with a chuckle as Fox’s cheeks go red in embarrassment and Raven just smirks looking t Lincoln and pointing over her shoulder at her work partner with her thumb.

_“You should have seen her being a useless lesbian around Monroe, giving the card to her while saying that if something suspicious happens to call her right away. I swear it was amazing, but the best part is that I’m sure Monroe actually found her cute.”_

Raven says as Lincoln shakes his head in amusement and waves his hand in goodbye at both of the women and when Raven turns around she finds Fox still blushing and looking at her defiantly.

_“What?”_

Raven asks in her Raven way and Fox raises one hand and counts one finger.

_“First: I‘m not a useless lesbian, I’m bi, even though I’m 75% lesbian and only the rest is straight, and I was just being helpful. Second, I'm not cute, okay? Now let’s do this experiment before I decide to try out a bomb on you.”_

Fox says as she turns around and checks the protection gear she and Raven will have to use and the Latina just nods and follows her.

_“Whatever you say, Fox.”_

The engineer says and Fox gives her a sideways glance but remains silent, it’s only minutes later after they have put the protective gear on and place a small device inside an unbreakable transparent box of glass that Fox looks at Raven and clears her throat.

_“You seem to know Monroe very well…”_

The police officer from the bomb squad team trails of in a neutral voice as Raven tries to have a better reading of the device inside the box.

_“Yeah, she has been working at Arkadia for a few years now, I met her through Clarke and Octavia, they used to work in different areas but they have been friends for a while now, Monroe is a reporter but she knows a few things about computers and programming too, that’s why she is working with Clarke and O on the online page now.”_

Raven replies absently as she looks around and takes a few steps back with a shake of her head, but stops to look at Fox with keen eyes.

_“Why? Do you want me to find out if she thinks you’re cute?”_

Raven asks mischievously and Fox groans as she picks up the tablet from Raven’s hands and takes a few steps further and types a few commands on it as she looks at the box and the laser lights on it.

_“Can you please just forget about this? Here, it’s calibrated, now make this thing go boom or I’ll die of boredom.”_

The brunette officer says handing the tablet to Raven once more, the Latina just looks at the graphic with a surprised face and smiles, her mind is already having a field day with the plans she can make with Fox and Monroe.

_“Alright! Are you ready?”_

_“I was born ready Raven; now let’s try this, if your calculations are correct we will have the full picture on how the person built these bombs.”_

Fox says with conviction in her voice and Raven nods as she adjusts the headphones over her ears to block the blasting sound of their experiment and takes a few steps back making sure everything is in order to proceed.

**

The morning is long gone by the time Clarke watches as Octavia unlocks the door to their apartment. Jaha was surprisingly kind enough to let them go home after the perimeter was lifted from around Arkadia; all he requested was a meeting with them and Monroe to check on them personally and run some things with them about the online page. Reluctantly the man agreed with Monroe when she told him that it would be better to wait for a preliminary report from the police department. And even if Clarke and Octavia would normally be the ones doing it, Monroe seemed keen on the idea of talking to a woman named Fox that according to what Octavia had told Clarke was one of Raven’s work colleagues and so both roommates left Monroe in charge and decided to go home.

_“Clarke, how are you feeling with all of this?”_

Octavia asks when they finally put their things down and walk to the living room. The blonde looks at her friend and shakes her head.

_“I don't know O. I mean, between seeing Lexa and what happened in Arkadia I just don't know.”_

The blonde says taking a seat on the couch and watching as Octavia goes to her bedroom probably to change clothes.

_“Don't you want to rest a little? Maybe take a shower and take a small nap?”_

The younger Blake says from her bedroom and Clarke looks down at herself and sighs.

_“I took a shower before I came from the cabin.”_

The blonde says leaning back on her couch, there's a familiar scent on the clothes she is wearing, the hoodie smells like Lexa and it gives Clarke a sense of comfort.

_“You're sure? You must be tired, let me at least prepare something for us to eat.”_

Octavia says reappearing from the bedroom and walking towards the kitchen and the blonde nods. It doesn't take long for the younger Blake to join Clarke in the living room as she places down a plate with two sandwiches and two cans of iced tea.

_“Thank you.”_

Clarke says grabbing one of the sandwiches and taking a bite and Octavia smiles with a soft nod. They start eating in silence as the younger Blake looks at Clarke.

_“How's Lexa?”_

The petite brunette asks carefully and Clarke sighs taking a sip from her can.

_“She's… I… I don't know how to say it.”_

_“Is she okay?”_

Octavia asks gently and Clarke notices how soft her tone of voice is.

_“She's at this cabin, two hours from here. It's somehow equipped for someone with her needs.”_

Clarke says as she looks at Octavia and the younger Blake nods in silence but then turns her body to look better at her friend.

_“Did you guys talk?”_

The petite brunette inquires softly and Clarke shakes her head taking another bite of her sandwich.

_“No, I knew she had put this wall between us and I was prepared to talk to her, I have a lot to say, but when I got there and saw her like that I froze.”_

_“It’s understandable, I mean you haven’t seen each other for weeks now and things between the two of you are complicated right now. But at least you took the first step towards her. Did you get an idea of how bad her injuries still are?”_

_“No, Lianna mentioned that it seems like Lexa is resigned to this condition of hers, but for what I_ _gathered from Lianna and Niylah there’s still a chance for Lexa to walk again. I don’t know why she is not trying.”_

Clarke says with a frustrated sigh as she remembers how defeated Lexa looked in some moments, especially when Clarke was paying attention to her when Lexa didn’t notice. Octavia noticing that Clarke is spacing out places a gentle hand on the blonde's knee.

_“Well, now that you know where she is you can always go back there and talk, like really talk to her.”_

The younger Blake says in a soft voice and Clarke nods, she is not going to give up now, she did it once and she is not keen on repeating the same mistake twice. Even though she knows it isn't going to be easy. She saw through the cracks of Lexa’s walls that she still cares for Clarke especially when the blonde mentioned Niylah’s name, the soreness and bitter words Lexa had said that morning about the physical therapist and Clarke's proximity is an indication of what the former detective feels about them.

They stay silent for a couple of minutes finishing their sandwiches but eventually, Octavia looks at Clarke with a pensive expression.

_“About what happened this morning… I'm sorry I called you and made you leave Lexa, but the police wanted to talk to you even though we told them you were out of town and Jaha asked me to check on you.”_

The petite brunette says and Clarke sighs with a shake of her head.

_“You don't have to apologize; I was bound to get back after what happened, it was the logical thing to do. I'm just at the loss of words about it all.”_

_“I feel ya. It has been months since we had any threats. And suddenly you get a suspicious package in your name. I mean it's not like we weren't threatened before, Nia’s story was plagued with threats, but we knew then that we were messing with powerful people in a large operation. But those were just threats, this time feels different.”_

Octavia says not masking the apprehension in her voice and Clarke nods as she leans back on the couch and pinches the bridge of her nose.

_“I don’t think it’s a coincidence to get this package after what happened in the courthouse though.”_

_“You’re still thinking it is connected?”_

_“I think so, but it doesn’t make sense, the only person who could benefit from this would be Nia, but she was at the trial too, she even got injured in the explosions.”_

Clarke says at the same time the doorbell rings and she looks at Octavia.

_“Are we expecting someone?”_

The blonde inquires as she moves to check the time on her wristwatch, only to exhale a sad sigh. The watch her father gave her and that she treasured so much was lost on the night Lexa was shot and since then the blonde hadn’t bothered in buying a new one but from time to time she still catches herself doing the movements she did ever so often with it.

_“No, no one said that they would be coming here.”_

Octavia says breaking Clarke’s thoughts and the blonde frowns looking at the door as if it could show her who is at the building’s entrance. Octavia’s eyes follow Clarke’s ones and she lowers her voice to an almost conspiracy tone.

_“It’s probably the mailman or some kids, but let’s wait and see if they ring other bells to try and get inside the building.”_

Octavia says and Clarke nods as they wait in an apprehensive silence and their eyes stay expectantly glued to the door. After a couple of minutes in silence, Octavia leans back on the couch with a relieved sigh.

_“It was probably nothing.”_

The younger Blake says at the same time the doorbell rings again and she looks at Clarke. They look at each other and Octavia’s phone beeps with a notification, the petite brunette grabs her phone and smiles as she gets up from the couch.

_“Where are you going?”_

Clarke asks confused and Octavia shakes her head with a smile.

_“It’s Lincoln.”_

The younger Blake says as she moves towards the door pressing the button to allow her boyfriend to come inside, she waits by the door as she unlocks it and not long after it a soft knock is heard at the door and Octavia opens it to see Lincoln at the other side.

_“Hey babe, I thought you were working.”_

Octavia says as Lincoln enters and leans in to kiss her lips with a shrug of his shoulders.

_“It was quiet at work and I decided to check on you girls.”_

Lincoln says in his caring and gentle way as he takes off his shoes and his leather jacket and follows Octavia to the living room. The man takes a seat on the couch and Octavia follows him and lets the embrace of her strong boyfriend soothe her worries away. She won’t lie, after what happened that morning she felt some worry when the doorbell rang, after all, all their friends are working and none said that they would swing by at their place. Suddenly having Lincoln’s strong arms around her lithe frame gives her a sense of safety.

_“How are you, Clarke?”_

The kind doctor asks and Clarke smiles thankfully at him.

_“I’m good; I wasn’t even at the building when it all started so I’m just taken aback by this whole situation.”_

The blonde says looking at Lincoln and the kind doctor nods as he tightens his hold on his girlfriend.

_“I think that was actually for the best.”_

The man says and Clarke narrows her eyes at him.

_“Why? Do you know something about the device they found?”_

The blonde asks and Octavia turns slightly around to look at Lincoln. The man shakes his head, despite what he saw and what Raven said in the lab he thinks that it is better to keep that information to himself at the moment.

_“No, I saw Raven, and I asked if they needed some help to look at the samples but they were just starting to get things ready for a preliminary report. She just told me to check on you.”_

Lincoln says and Clarke sighs as she thinks that she hasn’t spoken to Raven in a few days now.

_“I don’t mean to pry but were you out working this morning?”_

Lincoln asks casually and with some curiosity and Clarke shakes her head.

_“No, I was actually out of town; I went to see Lexa at the cabin.”_

_“Lexa is at the cabin?”_

Lincoln asks as his eyes wide in surprise and Clarke looks baffled at him.

_“You didn’t know?”_

_“I know Lexa and her aunt own a cabin, a family heritage I think, but what the heck is she thinking moving there?”_

Lincoln says and Octavia looks at him noticing the frustration in his voice and Clarke smiles at his worry.

_“The cabin is surprisingly equipped for her.”_

The blonde says as she remembers the widened spaces, free from obstacles that allow the brunette to move freely in her wheelchair. The bathroom Clarke used to take her first shower is proof of that with the adjustable handrail on the wall that helps Lexa to get in the shower. As it is the kitchen with a sort of platform to make Lexa able to reach the sink.

_“Hmm, well it makes sense since her father was in a wheelchair too.”_

Lincolns says after a few seconds in silence and Clarke looks at him slightly taken aback by this new information.

_“Wait, so you know Lexa’s father was in a wheelchair but you didn’t know where she was?”_

The blonde asks and Lincoln scratches the back of his neck awkwardly shy.

_“Yeah, I guess I didn’t connect the dots, plus Lexa never talks about it, I only know of it because Roan mentioned it to me a while back. And Lexa didn’t tell me where she was going; I think she assumed I would tell you guys where she was or at least Octavia.”_

Lincoln says and Clarke nods as she thinks about Lincoln’s words and the fact that Lexa’s father was also in a wheelchair. It doesn’t surprise the blonde that Lexa hasn’t mentioned this to her, in fact Lexa barely talks about her father and Clarke knows she has her reasons.

With Lincoln with them, the two reporters decide to watch some movies and relax to try and forget the events that took place earlier on that day.

**

_“Is it done?”_

The woman asks through the phone speaker as the man scrolls on the news feed to see if their plan worked.

_“I… I’m not sure.”_

There’s a hollow chuckle from the other side of the line as a tensed silence follows until the woman’s voice is heard again.

_“I pay you to get things done and be sure of it.”_

_“Look, I did what you asked me to do and I delivered the device.”_

The woman scoffs and the man lets out a frustrated exhale.

_“Like you did in the courthouse? Look at how good that went Dax? I told you I had targets, and that I want them down.”_

_“And I told you I don’t kill innocent people.”_

_“Dax, you already did that, or you don’t remember that family that died in that building you set on fire?”_

_“Listen, we scared who we needed to scare and the targets will fall, I promised you that, it’s as much of my interest to see that blonde reporter dead as it is yours.”_

Dax says as a deep hollow and cold laugh comes from the other side of the line that causes a shiver to run down his spine. And although even Dax thinks this mysterious lady is dangerous and scary he still agreed to work for her.

_“You better present me with some results Dax; I’m paying you well enough for that to happen.”_

The woman says and ends the call abruptly, he looks around and spots the pictures on his board, Judge Pike and Clarke Griffin are his targets and the fact that they are at Nia’s trial case and Nia was a collateral victim doesn’t really bother him, whoever contacted him must have their reasons to want them gone and as long as Clarke and Pike are in the deal he doesn’t really care about the rest.

**

The sun is sinking beyond the horizon but the Intelligence Kru is still working while Echo and Roan are still out looking for Dax. Luna and Anya pulled Dax’s file and with every little piece of information they read about the man they feel like he might be the person behind the attacks.

_“I have a link between Dax and Clarke.”_

Luna says as Anya places a cup of tea onto the curly-haired detective’s desk, the FBI agent nods when Luna thanks her for the tea and leans down to read what Luna is showing her on the computer screen.

_“Clarke wrote about him?”_

Anya asks as she scans the page in the screen and Luna grabs her notebook to go over the annotations she made.

_“Arkadia published an article about the fires he started; station 77 was called numerous times to a series of suspicious fires. Clarke and Octavia kept an eye on the case and by the time Dax was convicted they wrote an article about it.”_

_“It says here that a mother and two kids died in one of the fires, this was just a few years ago. How can Dax be on parole already?”_

The FBI agent questions with frustration and Luna shakes her head at the loss of words for not being able to give Anya a proper answer.

_“I’m not sure yet, but Clarke exposed him publicly even if the fire department tried to keep it out of the press. That's enough to make him hold a grudge against her.”_

Luna says as Miller looks at her from his desk.

_“Dax definitely has the knowledge to make these devices, before he became a firefighter he was an engineering student he had to quit when his parents’ business went bankrupt.”_

The detective says at the same time Echo and Roan appear at the large entrance of the Kru room with frustration written all over their faces.

_“We didn't find Dax in any of the places we had listed.”_

_“We even went to his old station but none of his former colleagues want to have anything with him, he is as good as dead to them all, especially the paramedics he harassed.”_

Roan and Echo say and Luna pinches the bridge of her nose with a frustrated sigh.

_“Alright let's keep digging information about him. Roan, maybe you could take Aden to the prison tomorrow, and see if Dax had any friends among the inmates that could help him now that he is out.”_

Luna says and Roan nods as Anya moves to her desk and her phone starts ringing. She grabs the device and puts the phone to her ear.

_“Illian, do you have something?”_

The FBI agent asks and Luna and Echo look at her.

_“Now? Yeah…. Alright, we'll check it out. Thanks, Illian.”_

The FBI agent ends the call and looks around.

_“Let's go to see Monty, it seems Illian just got another video that he wants us all to see.”_

The team moves in silence over to the office Monty is using and when they step inside they see Monty talking on the phone. Anya and Luna look at him and he nods as he looks over to the screen of his laptop.

_“Yeah, they’re here and I got it. I’ll play it now. Thanks.”_

Monty says ending the call and making sure that everyone is in the room, without saying anything else the Asian young man presses play and watches as the video starts playing. On the white screen, a video shows 2 people in a dark room, one is in the center of the image.

_“Our city has suffered enough with these vultures that justice fails to punish. We’re a movement to free Boston of these people. People like Nia need to be punished, for using our money, the money from our taxes for their own advantage. But the problem doesn’t end with her. The judges make deals with criminals all the time helping them evade justice and we intend on making Judge Pike an example for the others. And people like Clarke Griffin are a cancer to our city of Boston. These reporters don’t do justice, what they do is make money at the expense of tragedies. We urge the city to wake up to this reality and to join us. We will free this city from these vultures. We’re Boston Liberation Army and this is just the beginning.”_

By the time the video ends a heavy silence falls over the room as everyone feels at loss of words, the video is a clear threat to Nia, Pike and Clarke and Dax seems to be only one from a larger group.

**

Luna walks out of the station to find Raven leaning against Pocahontas waiting for her. It was a very long day, and after the video situation, Luna and Anya decided to talk to Indra about it to try and have a strategy for the investigation in the future days. Raven watches as Luna’s lips curl into a small tired small smile and the Latina sighs, knowing about the video and the threats being made against Clarke and the others affected everyone in the team.

_“Hey babe, what do you think of going to Redemption’s Bar and having dinner there?”_

Raven asks with a smile trying to make her girlfriend relax a little.

_“Oh, that sounds great we’re going too.”_

Echo says as Anya smirks with a nod and Raven rolls her eyes but doesn't really care, she has a feeling that everyone wants to take their minds off the latest news of the case. And it has been a while since they have been all together outside work.

**

Apart from Aden and Monty, everyone in the Kru decided to join Luna and Raven. Echo asked Bellamy to join them too and the man convinced Miller to join them, reluctantly the detective accepted knowing a night out would help him place his thoughts in order.

Seeing Lexa’s friends all together made Lianna smile, after all it has been a rare sight in the last few months, and even if the older woman can't shake the feeling that something or rather someone is missing she still enjoys having them around. It has been a pleasant night, Anya and Echo are playing pool against Miller and Bellamy but Luna is at the table with Roan and Raven having a beer.

_“Do you think we should tell Lexa about the video?”_

Luna asks after some time and Roan looks at her, he can see that she has been thinking about this for a while.

_“I don't know. Maybe it would give her some reason to try and walk again. But it feels like I don't ever know Lexa these days.”_

The man says with a sad sigh as Anya and the others join the table between banter and teasing after the women have beaten the men’s asses in the game. The FBI agent looks at the people at the table and frowns.

_“Alright, what got your sorry arses looking so serious like that?”_

The dirty-blonde asks and Raven looks from her to Bellamy as he sits down next to Echo.

_“Yo, Bellboy, I reckon that you’re the one that has spent more time with Lexa lately. Do you think we should tell her about the video?”_

Raven asks and Anya looks at Bellamy who looks from Raven to Echo who smiles at him squeezing his hand. Bellamy had told his girlfriend that he had seen the way Lexa wanted to walk again when they stopped at the gas station the last time he took her to the cabin.

_“I guess we should, I mean she wants to know of this for sure.”_

_“Don’t you think this will put some pressure on her, maybe it will have the opposite effect than the one we want?”_

Luna asks carefully at the same time Anya gets up from her chair and grabs her phone as Roan narrows her eyes at her.

_“Where are you going?”_

The detective asks and Anya just smirks as she scrolls through her contact list and presses the call button walking in the direction of the door. The other person picks up the call by the time Anya is outside the bar.

_“Anya?”_

_“Dumbass, you better be ready to start moving that pretty ass of yours if you want to protect blondie.”_

_“Anya, I’m not in the mood for cryptic jokes, I can’t protect anyone like this much less Clarke, I would just put her in danger.”_

_“Well that’s what I mean, when you’re ready to take your head out of your ass you’ll see that Clarke is a reporter and that makes a lot of people uncomfortable, she makes enemies for a living and right now she’s already in danger and that has nothing to do with you and your job.”_

_“What do you mean?”_

Lexa asks carefully and Anya can hear the worry in the brunette’s voice, she smirks slightly nodding once to herself.

_“I mean that Clarke is being targeted by the same people who were behind the attack on the courthouse and she needs you to walk again and get your ass here to help us and help her. Stop being a dumbass and get your legs to fucking moving again.”_

With that, the call ends and Anya decides to go back to the bar hoping that her tough love is enough to encourage Lexa to do something that makes her walk again.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what are your thoughts on this chapter?  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I know Lexa wasn't in it except for the end but do not fear she will be back!  
> Get ready because the next chapter is going to be intense.


	6. One step forward and two steps back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again peeps!  
> Sorry for the long delay on this chapter, the world is going through a crazy moment and between work and family I have been in a frenzy routine that affected my writing.  
> Anyways let me tell you that I love all of you for reading this story. I feel like besides thank you for your kudos, and hits and bookmarks I also need to give a special thanks to those of you who have been kind enough to waste some minutes to leave me a comment!  
> I read them all and I have to say I'm slightly baffled with the passionate comments this second part is getting.  
> When I started this second part of the fic I had a goal: that at some point you guys would want to punch Clarke, Lexa or both, maybe even Raven! And to see that this story is bringing out such a strong emotional response from you leaves me utterly content and proud of the work I have been doing with my friend's help, shout out to Jo for the patience of working with me on this!  
> Now, I know all of you are here to read the story and not my rambling so I leave you be with the new chapter!  
> I hope you Enjoy it! :)

**Chapter 6 - One step forward and two steps back**

The birds are chirping and the sun is casting its first light when Miller wakes up and checks his wristwatch. The detective smiles to himself when he sees that he managed to wake up early; 6 am and there are no chances of Jackson having left for work already. It has been a few days since Nathan has kissed Jackson and the doctor has been doing a great job in avoiding Miller despite sleeping in his house. The detective moves carefully and silently from the couch to the bathroom, where he splashes water on his face and absently adjusts his ruffled hair then goes back to the couch again and patiently waits.

It doesn't take long for Jackson to step out of Miller's bedroom almost on the tip of his toes trying to make as little noise as possible. Miller watches slightly amused at the doctor's antics and when he chuckles Jackson looks at him in surprise.

_“You have been avoiding me. We need to talk.”_

Nathan says and Jackson blushes as he casts his eyes to the floor.

_“I’ll be late for work.”_

The doctor says in a small voice already dreading the conversation Miller might want to have with him. The detective smiles with a shake of his head.

_“No, you're not. You can use the bathroom first but we're not leaving here until we have a proper conversation.”_

The detective says with a definitive tone in his voice and Jackson sighs as he nods and walks into the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. The doctor looks at the mirror and shakes his head as he looks at his ruffled hair. Trying to brush it slightly he nods once to himself and steps out of the bathroom and looks at Nathan who remains seated on the couch. The silent motion of Miller's head is enough for Jackson to accept his invitation and take a seat on the couch too.

_“We need to talk about what happened the other day.”_

Miller starts and Jackson blushes with a shake of his head. He hasn't stopped thinking about that half kiss but he doesn't want to pressure Nathan to do anything he doesn't want to.

_“It was a silly thing in the heat of the moment. I don't want you to think I'm taking advantage of you. We can just forget that it happened and move on. My landlord called me and I can go back to my place tomorrow.”_

Jackson says a little out of breath and Miller would laugh at the man's shyness if he didn't make his insides twist and churn in a pleasant way.

_“You're joking, right? I mean, how could you be taking advantage if I was the one kissing you?”_

The detective asks with a smile and Jackson shrugs slightly as he looks at Nathan.

_“Yeah, but I understand if you found that morning confusing. It doesn't have to be more than what it was in that brief moment.”_

_“What if I want it to be?”_

Miller asks and Jackson’s eyes widen at Miller's question.

_“I… uh? How… Erm… What do you mean?”_

Jackson asks, baffled and surprised and Miller smiles as he moves slightly on the couch to take Jackson’s hands in his own.

_“Jackson, I know that it has only been a few months since Bryan died, and trust me when I say I didn't plan on feeling how I feel. But you make me feel again, and I might be completely mistaken here but I think you feel it too. We have been friends for years and I always admired you for your values and your strong character. You just give yourself to your friends without asking anything in return. And that's what you did with me, but lately, I've been looking and thinking of you as more than just a friend.”_

_“You… you have?”_

Jackson asks, completely overwhelmed with a strong emotion in his chest that threatens to explode his ribcage and Miller squeezes his hands gently.

_“I'm willing to try if you are. We can go slow and take it one step at a time. But I do have feelings for you, and they have nothing to do with coping with my losses. I'm not replacing Bryan or finding a quick release. You know that Bryan and I were going through a rough time; this complicity I have with you has nothing to do with my past. I want to move forward, to look forward, and to build a happy future and when I think about it I see you in it.”_

Miller says as a tear rolls down his face and Jackson is at a loss for words. He dumbly nods as Miller leans his forehead against Jackson's and they both sigh.

_“We'll take it slow.”_

Jackson says not sure if he is trying to assuage Miller's troubled mind or his own beating heart and Miller nods.

_“Slow.”_

The detective says as he moves slightly and kisses Jackson, the doctor closes his eyes and this time he lets himself enjoy the feeling of Nathan's lips on his own. They are both aware that this is a new page in their lives, Jackson is still scared that Miller might not be hundred percent sure of his feelings, but Miller wants nothing more than show Jackson that they can make it work and that the doctor has nothing to worry about when it comes to their still new and blossoming relationship.

**

It is still early in the morning but Roan is at the station’s gym training with his partner. He smiles as they move in the ring box while going over their familiar routine. A beeping sound is heard and the man halts his movements and looks around to see the screen of his phone blinking announcing that their time is over.

_“Time’s up champion.”_

The man says as he moves towards the edge of the ring and jumps onto the floor with his partner behind him. Together they walk over to the bench and as Roan sits down he grabs two bottles of water and passes one to his companion.

_“You're getting better and stronger. But these are only self-defense classes. I hope you know this doesn't qualify you to act on your own in the future.”_

Roan says sternly and is rewarded with a nod.

_“I know.”_

_“I mean it, Clarke, with what happened at the courthouse and Arkadia I know you well enough to know that you want to pursue this story. All I am saying is that you still have to be careful.”_

_“I know, I might feel proud of what we have been doing here but I'm not stupid.”_

The blonde says perfectly aware of where the man is going with the conversation and Roan nods. Since Lexa left town Roan decided to spend some of his spare time training and taking care of the gym. Training with Clarke happened randomly; while Lexa was still in the hospital Roan and Clarke grew closer. After Lexa’s departure Roan decided to check on Clarke and invited her to have a coffee with him, they didn’t talk much about Lexa but the blonde asked Roan how he was and by chance, he mentioned the idea that the blonde could work out her frustrations with some physical training. Clarke was reluctant at first but after spending one night with Niylah and realizing it wasn't enough she agreed with him and it has been a nice change in her routine.

_“Thanks for doing this.”_

The blonde says with a genuine smile and Roan shrugs his shoulders with a small smirk.

_“No problem, it is nice to be the one kicking someone else’s ass for a change.”_

The man says teasingly and Clarke throws a towel at his face.

_“You're still not over the fact that Anya kicked your ass and then Lexa almost kicked Anya’s.”_

Clarke says not missing a beat and Roan pretends to be offended by the blonde's words.

_“Wow, have a little respect for your master, princess.”_

_“Shut up.”_

Clarke says with a smile as they both fall silent and Clarke sighs as she wipes the sweat off of her face with a white towel.

_“I went to see her at the cabin.”_

The blonde says after a couple of minutes in silence and Roan looks at her.

_“You saw Lexa?”_

The man asks surprised and Clarke nods as she takes another sip from the bottle of water.

_“How did that go?”_

The detective asks carefully and Clarke sighs as she looks at him with a sad smile.

_“I don't know; I feel like I took a step forward but then took two steps back. I saw in her eyes that she still cares but she just put this distance between us and I can't quite reach out to her.”_

The blonde says dejectedly and Roan nods as he looks around.

_“I can imagine she was a dumbass, I can't help but feel like Lexa is punishing herself for what happened.”_

Roan says ruefully and Clarke shakes her head in frustration.

_“That doesn't make any sense, I was the one seeking that source, I knew it was shady, and because of that I almost got her killed.”_

The blonde reporter says as a tear rolls down her face and Roan lets out a sigh with a sad smile. It isn't the first time he managed to make Clarke talk about Lexa, and just like before the journalist voices her guilt.

_“Clarke, listen to me, I know how you feel, believe me, I do. But at the end of the day Cage is the only one to blame. I've seen his diaries Clarke, he was sick.”_

The man says thinking back to that night and the events that took place after it. Roan had perceived Clarke's guilt as his own; he spent many nights awake thinking that if he hadn't gone to visit his mother, he would be around to protect Lexa. But the more he read Cage’s diaries the more he realized that Cage wouldn't stop. Roan understood at some level why Lexa was so closed off after Costia, guilt is a powerful emotion but the more he read Cage’s detailed diaries the more he realized that the man had a severe mental problem. The lingering guilt is always at the back of his mind, Roan won't deny that, but he came to the conclusion that he can't be stuck in the past just like Clarke and Lexa can't either.

_“You and Lexa have to look forward; you're both carrying a guilt that is not yours to carry.”_

The man says wisely and Clarke looks at him, Niylah and Roan had mentioned that Lexa might be holding back on her recovery because of the guilt she feels and even though Clarke is still hurt she can imagine it to be true. After all, she tried to move on over that same feeling too. And she can see in Roan’s eyes that he has been struggling with the same emotion. The blonde sighs with a shake of her head as a heavy feeling creeps over her and seems to anchor in her chest.

_“Okay, let's move. We have the heater on so we can have a shower and then I'll drop you off at work.”_

Roan says gently as he gets up from the bench upon noticing the turmoil in blue ocean eyes and Clarke smiles but shakes her head.

_“You don't have to take me to Arkadia. You already picked me up from my place, I can take the bus.”_

The blonde says and Roan looks at her with a serious expression.

_“Not a chance, with everything going on I think it's best if I take you there myself.”_

Roan says and Clarke sighs as she gets up from the bench. After Raven’s preliminary report and the fact that Roan and Echo couldn't find Dax anywhere, Chief Indra decided to call Clarke to the station. The Kru had shown Indra the video and the woman thought it was for the best to tell Clarke about the danger she was facing even though they didn’t tell her about the small progress they had made with the case.

Clarke won't lie about the fact that she was scared by the time she was leaving the station but she didn't show it, however she knew then that she has to be careful. But even though the blonde is slightly concerned about the threats she wants to keep some normalcy in her life.

**

Luna walks along the corridor that leads to the labs with a bag in her arms. Even though she invited Raven to have lunch outside to enjoy the bright sunny day, the Latina refused in order to keep working.

_“I come bearing gifts.”_

The curly-haired detective says pushing the door open with her shoulder and Fox looks at her from her table with a relieved smile.

_“Great, I'm starving.”_

The young woman says and Luna smiles as Raven places her things down and walks over in the direction of her girlfriend, she snatches the bag away from Luna as Fox looks unimpressed at her.

_“Hey, there are other people here too you know?”_

Fox says looking at Raven and the later just smirks at her.

_“Yeah, but I'm the genius here, I have priority, besides Luna is my girlfriend so if you want bragging rights you should just make a move on Monroe and have her come here like the diligent girlfriend I know she can be.”_

Raven says teasingly and Fox huffs as she takes a step closer and snatches the bag of food containers from Raven’s hands and starts walking to a small lounge room with it. Raven looks at Luna with a satisfied smile and winks at her as Luna watches slightly confused.

_“Hey come on Fox, did no one ever teach you to share?”_

_“Why should I? Bragging rights are not legit rights and I'm starving. Luna since you paid for these you're welcome to join me.”_

Fox shouts from the lounge as Raven holds Luna’s hand and starts pushing her in the direction of the room where Fox is.

_“I’m sure Monroe would like to share a nice meal with you though.”_

Raven says playfully and Fox ignores her in favor to look through the containers with the meals. Luna waits in silence as she looks from Raven to Fox noticing the way the woman is blushing.

_“Who is this Monroe?”_

The curly-haired detective asks and Raven beams with excitement.

_“She's a reporter at Arkadia, and Fox here has a crush on her.”_

_“I have not; I have barely spoken to her.”_

Fox says picking one of the burgers and Raven shrugs her shoulders as she takes a burger for herself and takes a bite.

_“Well, it was enough for Monroe to find you cute.”_

The Latina says between bites and Fox raises one eyebrow at her but remains silent and Luna can't help but shake her head in amusement. The three women eat in silence for some time but then Fox takes a sip of her soda and looks at Luna with a careful expression.

_“Have you found out where the suspect is?”_

The young woman says and Luna sighs as she wipes the corner of her lips with the napkin.

_“No, we have been checking every possible lead, but since he got out of jail it's like he has vanished into thin air.”_

_“We're trying to find out every component he used on his devices and try to narrow down its origins.”_

Fox says and Luna looks at her and Raven with curious eyes.

_“Origins?”_

_“Yeah babe, what Fox is saying is that if we can have any idea of where to get the items he used, you guys can have a better idea of where to look for him.”_

Raven says and Luna nods as she looks from Fox to Raven with a kind smile.

_“That would be a great help.”_

The woman says and Raven smirks.

_“It pays off to have a genius working with you guys.”_

_“And by genius she means me.”_

Fox says mockingly as she throws a napkin in Raven’s direction and the Latina shakes her head with a fond smile.

_“Although I'm clearly the genius here I'll give you some credit, you're probably the best lab partner I ever had.”_

_“Awww, you like me.”_

Fox says with an innocent and theatrically smile and Raven shrugs her shoulders.

_“I didn't say that.”_

_“But you do, wow, I never thought that I would live to see the day in which Raven Reyes would admit to like having me around.”_

Fox says with a dreamy theatrical face and Luna chuckles at both of them, grateful for the fact that Raven fits along so well in the station. Between banter and easy conversation, the women keep having their lunch and enjoying a moment of calm and peace.

**

Clarke is immersed in her work when Octavia taps her on the shoulder to get her attention. The blonde looks up to see the younger Blake shaking her wallet.

_“I’m going to grab lunch with Monroe, do you want to come?”_

The younger Blake asks and Clarke sighs with a shake of her head.

_“I can't, I'm finishing this article. Can you bring me something?”_

_“Sure, what do you want?”_

_“Whatever you’ll get for you will be fine.”_

_“Alright, a tuna sandwich then.”_

The petite brunette says with a smile as Clarke moves to her backpack to retrieve her wallet and Octavia shakes her head with a smile.

_“The next one is on you. I'll be back in a few.”_

The woman says and Clarke breathes out a “thank you” as she watches her friend leave to catch up with Monroe. The blonde places her earbuds in her ears again and looks at the screen. As Clarke types on the keyboard she thinks about Lexa, the former detective hasn't said anything since Clarke left the cabin and the blonde wonders if she has been thinking about her as much as Clarke has been thinking about Lexa. Looking at her notebook the blonde reporter sighs, if she is quick enough she can be done with her tasks by the end of the day and maybe pay Lexa another visit and one where they can talk properly. A notification sound pulls Clarke out of her daydreaming as she notices a new email in her inbox. Curiously the blonde opens the email and gasps slightly surprised at what she reads.

**Dear Clarke,**

**I wonder if you have fun in destroying people's lives like you do. Maybe it's time for someone to give you a taste of your own poison.**

**I know where you work and I won’t forget. You got away once. You won't be so lucky next time.**

The email isn't signed, and Clarke can't see the sender. Usually, the blonde would ignore it, but after what happened at the courthouse and at Arkadia she decides that the best course of action is to call Luna and ask for advice.

**

The black car stops near the hospital entrance and the driver looks through the rearview mirror at the passenger in the back seat.

_“Mayor? We're here.”_

Caris says and Titus looks up from the file in his hands and takes in his surroundings. The Mayor nods at his driver and puts the file back in his messenger bag.

_“I'll be back shortly, but you don't need to wait inside the car, go and grab something to eat, I'll call you to inform you when I'm done.”_

The Mayor says and Caris nods as he steps out and moves to open the door for Titus.

_“Good luck sir.”_

The man says and Titus smiles at him thankful for the man's support. Titus walks inside the hospital glad for not having to rush in through the emergency entrance. He spots a nurse on his way through the corridor and asks him for directions, the male young nurse escorts Titus to one of the corridors stopping in front of a door with a black plaque on it, Dr. Abigail Griffin, can be read in bold golden letters and Titus watches as the nurse knocks softly on the door and opens it slightly.

_“Doctor Griffin, the Mayor is here to see you.”_

The young man says and Abby nods with a smile and watches as the Mayor steps inside with precise but careful steps. The doctor gets up from her chair greeting the man with a firm handshake and motion with the other hand for him to take a seat.

_“Thanks for meeting with me, doctor.”_

The man says and Abby smiles as she picks up an envelope and places it on the desk looking at Titus with some uncertainty.

_“I was actually waiting for your call. I have the test results you asked for.”_

Abby says formally and slides the envelope in the Mayor’s direction and Titus bows his head in acknowledgment and then looks at her bashfully.

_“Thank you, Dr. Griffin, I know what I asked was unethical but I've lived with this doubt for years, I must say I was actually thinking you had not done it. I mean I’m grateful but that wasn't the reason I asked for this meeting.”_

The Mayor says placing his hands atop of the envelope and tapping his fingers on it but avoiding looking at it.

_“So why did you call me?”_

Abby asks and Titus shifts in his chair and the older Griffin can tell he is being careful upon not being completely comfortable with whatever he has to say.

_“I came to ask about Lexa. She's not answering my calls and she's not at her apartment either. Can you tell me anything about her?”_

_“I’m sorry Mayor but I can't do that. I'm bound by law and ethics as you must understand, doing that test was already a breach of my work methodology and ethics.”_

Abby says with genuine compassion and the man nods understandingly and looks at the envelope in his hands.

_“I take it then that the results are not what I expected.”_

The man says and it surprises Abby how defeated the man sounds. The doctor shakes her head with a small and sad smile and looks at him.

_“On the contrary, your suspicions are proven to be correct but even so I can't tell you how or where she is.”_

Abby says and Titus nods as he gets up from his chair.

_“I understand Doctor. Once again, thank you for all you've done.”_

The Mayor says and again shakes Abby’s hand and the woman nods as she watches him leave thinking back in time to when she met the man personally for the first time.

_**3 months ago**_

_Abby finally managed to convince Clarke to stay put in her room when she walks along the corridor to Lexa’s room. She notices a commotion in the corridor and quickens her pace to see what it is all that about. Once she gets closer she narrows her eyes at the sight in front of her, a man wearing blue jeans and a black hoodie is standing there and gesturing with his arms looking slightly frustrated. Abby blinks a couple of times, it can’t be true but when she finally steps closer she realizes that her eyes are not tricking her._

_“Mayor, can I help you with something?”_

_Abby asks still in disbelief upon seeing the Mayor wearing something that is definitely not a suit and the man looks at her._

_“I hope so.”_

_The man says looking at Abby with a careful expression as a man from the hospital staff looks at Abby apologetically._

_“How can I assist you sir?”_

_Abby asks and the Mayor sighs._

_“I want to see Miss Woods.”_

_“Doctor Abby, I already told the Mayor that Detective Woods can't have any visitors.”_

_The young man says and the Mayor looks in between the two of them with something resembling fear._

_“I overheard someone saying she needs a blood transfusion. I want to help.”_

_“I’m sure that we have enough in our blood banks, we appreciate your help Mayor, but Detective Woods is being properly taken care of.”_

_Abby says and the young man looks at her with a subtle shake of his head, and Abby doesn't even need to ask what he means with it._

_“Please doctor, I can see something is not right with the blood bank. I can help, I'm… I'm compatible. Can you at least tell me how she is, doctor…?”_

_“Griffin, doctor Griffin, I'm one of the Chief Surgeons of the hospital. Alright even if you are compatible we still need to run some tests. Please come with me.”_

_Abby says and Titus nods thankfully as he starts walking with Abby by his side. The woman looks at him, she can see the man is in distress and worried with Lexa, but she would like to understand why._

_“Mayor, can I ask you how you know Detective Woods?”_

_“I was her teacher in high school, that's how I know we're compatible.”_

_The man says and Abby nods, as she leads the man through the corridors to a room to take his blood and test it._

_“Can you tell me how she is? I know she was shot, but I don't know much more than that she needs a blood transfusion.”_

_“She's in a critical state, she's about to have surgery but she lost too much blood on her way here.”_

_Abby says and Titus falls silent, he feels his blood running cold in his veins as his worry takes over his body._

_A couple of minutes later Abby finds Titus in a room sitting on a chair squeezing a stress ball in his hand as his blood is taken out of him to help Lexa. The woman walks around him picking his chart up and Titus looks carefully at her._

_“Excuse me, doctor; you said your name is Griffin. Any relation to Jake and Clarke Griffin?”_

_Titus asks intrigued and Abby looks at him over the rim of the chart with a nod._

_“Jake was my late husband and Clarke is my daughter.”_

_The woman says a little weary of the man's interest and Titus nods._

_“Your daughter is living up to her father's name. Jake was an amazing reporter.”_

_Titus says gently and Abby smiles as she places the chart down._

_“Thank you, Mayor.”_

_“Please call me Titus.”_

_The Mayor says and Abby tries to hide the surprise in her face as she checks the man's arm to make sure everything is still in order._

_“I would think that my daughter's work is an inconvenience for you.”_

_“I won't lie about the fact that her articles sometimes present difficulties but Miss Griffin advocates for the truth and I respect that. I imagine that for a parent that would make you feel a sense of pride.”_

_The man says and Abby stops and looks at him, the man is completely unaware of her struggles to accept Clarke's career but hearing someone such as the Mayor saying that does make Abby smile._

_“You seem to know a few things about parenthood and yet you have no children of your own.”_

_Abby says carefully looking at Titus and the man lets out a sad exhale as he nods understanding the woman’s curiosity._

_“Life didn't bless me with parenting, but as a teacher, I learnt to see my students as an extension of myself and to care about them.”_

_“And Lexa? I mean, I'm sorry if I sound blunt but I do have a hard time believing a teacher would do this for any student he had met during his career.”_

_The doctor says cautiously and Titus nods at the woman's wisdom. Abby then moves to the man's side and starts to take the needle out and Titus looks in the opposite direction so he will not see the blood and the needle._

_“I wasn't blessed with parenthood, or so I think, except for Lexa.”_

_The man says in a low and sad voice and Abby puts a piece of cotton above his vein and looks curiously at him._

_“How so? Can you put some pressure here?”_

_The doctor asks as Titus moves his hand to secure the cotton in place, Abby then gets a bandage and nods as she lifts the cotton and puts the bandage on. As the blood is being processed the Mayor looks at Abby carefully._

_“Doctor, can I have your word that whatever is said here will remain in this room?”_

_The man says in a serious tone and Abby narrows her eyes but nods as she feels her curiosity increasing at man's suspense._

_“Of course.”_

_“Can you arrange a paternity test?”_

_The Mayor asks and Abby looks at him with a careful expression._

_“On you and Lexa? On what grounds?”_

_Abby asks not able to hide her surprise and Titus sighs as he tries to get up from the large comfortable chair he was in, wisely the woman places herself by his side and when the Mayor feels dizzy, Abby is right there to help him sit down again._

_“Easy, you have to rest a little.”_

_“Thank you, Doctor Griffin.”_

_“You don't need to thank me; I should be the one thanking you for what you're doing for Lexa.”_

_Abby says with a small smile and Titus bows his head slightly, knowing that Abby is Clarke's mother definitely assures him that she will do everything in her power to help the detective._

_“I couldn't live with myself if I didn't. I wasn't blessed with parenthood, or at least so I thought for years.”_

_The man says as Abby takes a seat to make sure the man rests with her by his side, Titus looks at her sensing that he owes her at least an explanation._

_“When Lexa started school I saw a lot of me in her, but it only made sense when she became my student. Lexa was familiar to me somehow and I realized why when I saw her mother’s name Elizabeth in her paperwork. Lexa’s mother and I were together for just over a year. I loved her deeply, still do, but in my idea of being able to give her everything I could I accepted a job out of town for a year. She begged me to stay and I didn't, when I finally came back I learned that she was married to a man named Alexander Woods, Lexa’s father or so I thought. I never contacted her again; after all, there was no reason to do so.”_

_The man says as he looks down at his hands and Abby can't hide the surprise in hearing this side of the Mayor, a completely different side of what he always has shown in public._

_“By the time Lexa became my student and I read her file my mind was clouded with doubts. I took her under my wing as I could.”_

_“But you never talked to her about this?”_

_Abby asks and the man nods as he looks at the doctor's curious gaze._

_“Lexa had already lost her mother, and despite the fact that her aunt had her own struggles in life, Lexa had a family who loved her, I couldn't bring more pain to her. I taught myself and her that love is a weakness, but maybe I was the weak one, Elizabeth took her own life because the man she was married to didn't deserve her. I'm fully aware of my mistakes, but Lexa was a teenager, a wise one for her age, I couldn't offer her anything more than the guidance I had followed myself for years. I know that what I'm asking of you, doctor Griffin, I know is not completely right but I've dealt with this doubt for years, I would like to have some closure if that makes sense.”_

_The man says at the same time Abby’s phone rings and the doctor picks it up and gets up from the chair._

_“I really have to go now, Mayor. What you're asking of me is unethical, to perform a paternity test without Lexa’s consent is not right. But right now saving Lexa is my first priority and she needs that blood.”_

_“I understand.”_

_Titus says and something in the man's behavior catches Abby off guard, the woman pauses at the door and looks at the Mayor with a nod and with that she rushes out of the room thinking about the man's confession and what Lexa’s reaction could possibly be ._

**

It was when Luna was finishing her early lunch with Raven and Fox that Clarke called her to ask her for help and the curly-haired detective rushed up the stairs to get Monty in order to have his opinion on the subject. The young man immediately told her that he wanted to go over to Arkadia and see what he could do.

It is way past lunchtime now and Luna and Monty have been at Arkadia for a while when the Asian man shakes his head with defeat.

_“It's a dead end; I can’t track this email to its source, the email passed through several IP addresses. I'm sorry Clarke.”_

The man says looking at his friend as he scratches the back of his neck in frustration and Clarke smiles gently at him.

_“You did what you could, thank you, Monty.”_

Clarke says as she looks at Luna with a careful expression.

_“What do we do now?”_

The blonde asks at the same time Jaha, Monroe and Octavia join her and Luna places her notebook in her pocket.

_“We will keep looking, I know this is uncomfortable and maybe even scary but I promise you that we're doing everything in our power to find the person behind this. We are pursuing leads and if we find something we will tell you. For now, I still advise both of you to be careful and to call us if something feels out of the ordinary.”_

Luna says and Jaha nods as he clears his throat and Clarke looks at him.

_“On that note, I was talking with Monroe and Octavia, I think it is for the best if you two work from home for the next few days, at least until the police department has something tangible on the investigation. We can do most of the work remotely anyway and you can coordinate with Monroe the best ways to do it. As for the other reporters, they will do as always, send you their articles and pictures before any uploads on the online page are made for you to check.”_

Jaha explains calmly and Clarke looks over to Octavia who has her arms crossed in front of her chest and looks somewhat resigned to the idea, the blonde, however, shakes her head but Jaha cuts her off even before she can say anything.

_“I can see you want to argue with me on this, but it is for your own safety.”_

The man says sternly and Clarke looks over at Luna who nods slightly.

_“It's not my place to tell you how to do your work, but I think your Chief Editor is right. Whoever is behind this, knows where you work and it's clear that they will attempt to do something again in the future, you'll be safer at home and we're looking at every lead we have Clarke, I assure you that we will get to the bottom of this.”_

Luna says in her gentle and peaceful way and the blonde nods as the phone from the curly-haired detective starts ringing and Luna picks it up with a frown.

_“Excuse me! I have to take this call.”_

Luna says politely and Jaha nods as he looks at Clarke, the blonde sighs as she looks at Octavia and then at Jaha again.

_“We will do as you say sir, but if you feel our presence is needed call us.”_

The blonde says and Jaha nods relieved, and starts walking to his office assured that both Octavia and Clarke will do as he said. The younger Blake goes over to her desk to pack her things and Clarke looks at Monty as the police consultor packs his things away too.

_“I can imagine you're a bit scared but we will get whoever is doing this when I get to back the station I'll ask Raven to look into it too.”_

Monty says with a gentle smile and Clarke smiles back as she looks at Luna, the detective is still on the phone and she looks to be talking carefully with whoever is on the other end of the line, Clarke thinks is either Raven or Indra by the way Luna is moving.

**

The curly-haired detective sighs as she hears the worry in the other person’s voice on the other end of the line.

_“She got an email with a threat. Monty was looking into it but it looks like it is a dead end.”_

Luna says as she looks around and notices the curious look on Clarke's face when their eyes meet.

_“How is she?”_

The other woman asks and Luna smiles at Clarke but turns around and notices the nice view from the window.

_“Honestly, I think she's a little worried and scared, she's not showing it though. She's being, well herself, I guess.”_

_“I'll come over there.”_

_“Look there's nothing to do here; we're on our way out anyway. Besides the Chief Editor just told Clarke and Octavia to go home and work from there, try to see if the dust settles down a little.”_

_“And you think that's safe? What about having a patrol car with them?”_

Luna looks around once more and then at her wristwatch.

_“Chief Indra is evaluating that possibility, look I know you and Clarke are at odds here but don't make an impulsive decision, I'm going to go back to the station now and as soon as I know more I'll tell you.”_

With that, the call ends and Luna looks around to see Monty waiting for her. With a nod, she waves goodbye to Clarke and Octavia and catches up with Monty to walk out of the building.

**

_“Hello, mother.”_

Roan says as he walks inside the massive living room of his mother's house and Nia looks at him from the couch folding a newspaper neatly and placing it on an expensive mahogany coffee table in front of her.

_“Hello Roan, is this a courtesy visit from my son or a working visit?”_

The woman says coolly and Roan bows his head as he looks over Miller to step beside him. Nia, a tall blonde woman of piercing blue eyes looks coldly at the new guest in her house and lets out a cold hollow chuckle.

_“I should know by now that you only visit me during the holidays.”_

Nia says bitterly and Miller feels rather uncomfortable in the woman's presence.

_“I would ask how you're feeling mother, but I can see you are fine.”_

Roan says and Nia smirks at him folding her hands on her lap, crossing her legs once more and looking carefully at her son.

_“I'm no longer in a hospital bed if that was where you were going. But tell me, Roan, why did you come here? Did you find the person who is threatening me?”_

Nia asks looking nonchalantly at her son, and Miller wonders if Roan’s life has always been immersed in this sort of formal and detached environment. There's an icy tone in Nia’s voice that intimidates him. Roan nods at Miller and the detective takes a step in the woman's direction pulling a picture from the pocket of his jacket.

_“We have a suspect, his name is Edward Davis, also known as Dax, do you recognize him, ma’am?”_

Nathan asks carefully and Nia takes the picture with interest. The woman takes a couple of minutes to look at the man in the photo and shakes her head.

_“I don't think I know him.”_

Nia says finally, breaking the silence and giving the picture back to Nathan and Roan takes a step further forward and looks at his mother with a neutral expression.

_“Are you sure he’s not one of your associates?”_

_“I don't know what you are trying to imply Roan, but I have never seen that man in my life, you know I don't forget a face. Now, instead of wasting your time with frivolous questions, you should be looking out for this man.”_

Nia says as she gets up from the couch and walks over to a table to pour a glass of water and if Miller is somewhat taken aback by the woman's elegance Roan remains unimpressed by it and takes a step forward in the woman’s direction looking at her poised body and posture as if he could drill holes on the back of her head.

_“I’m not implying anything, but if this Dax guy is targeting you it's because he has something against you.”_

Roan says and Nia turns to him with an unreadable expression.

_“All the more reasons for you to be out there looking for him and ask him directly why he tried to kill me at that courthouse.”_

The woman says and Roan bites his bottom lip to prevent him from saying something he shouldn't. He nods at Miller as they start to walk out but Roan stops near the two large open wooden doors and looks at his mother once more.

_“We're doing what we can with the information it is being given to us.”_

With that thought thrown out in the air, the man smirks at his mother's surprised face and walks out. It's only when they are out of the quite exquisite house that Miller looks at his partner carefully.

_“Damn, your mother is quite intense.”_

Miller says, looking over his shoulder at the impressive mansion behind him and Roan chuckles slightly.

_“Welcome to my life.”_

_“Seriously though what do you think about this?”_

Nathan asks and Roan sighs as they reach the car and get inside.

_“Honestly I don't know, I thought I knew my mother, I always knew she was cold but I could never have imagined the accusations against her, and I can't help but think she is hiding something.”_

_“You think she knows this Dax guy?”_

Miller asks because when their Chief told them to speak to Nia she prepared Roan for that possibility. The older detective starts the car and shrugs.

_“Either that or she has her people looking into it and already knew that it was Dax or maybe she was waiting for us to lead her to him, in either case, we have to get our hands on him first.”_

Roan says somberly and Miller nods as they fall silent on their way back to the station.

**

Luna is talking to Monty when Raven knocks on the door and walks inside.

_“So what happened?”_

The Latina asks and Monty looks at her with a sigh and then looks at Luna, the curly-haired detective nods and Monty’s eyes focus on Raven again.

_“Clarke got an email, threatening her and I can't track its source. Whoever did this knows how to cover their tracks well.”_

The Asian man says and Raven nods and looks at Luna with a pensive expression.

_“Did you guys tell Clarke who the suspect is?”_

_“Not yet.”_

_“Don't you think it’s time to tell her? I don’t know but she might have information on him that can help us.”_

At the Latina’s valid point, Luna looks at Monty and the young man shakes his head with a slight shrug of his shoulders in a clear indication that as a civilian he doesn’t want to overstep any boundaries but Luna smiles and nods at him so he can voice his thoughts.

_“I think Raven is right, Clarke is not like any other victim; she is resourceful and she might have leads or information to give us. Besides she can protect herself better if she knows exactly what is happening.”_

Monty says and Luna nods seeing the reasoning the man is bringing to the equation, the curly-haired detective picks up her phone and calls Indra. Although she knows that she is technically in charge she can’t make such an important decision without consulting her Chief. As she waits for her Chief to pick up the call, she muses what Lexa would do, but well she is not Lexa and by the time she is ending her call with Indra she is sure that talking openly with Clarke is the right step for the investigation.

**

The morning arrives a little later than usual for Clarke, working from home has its perks and the best for Clarke is to wake up later than she normally would and not having to face the morning traffic rush in Boston. Another advantage is the fact that she can wear comfy clothes like the t-shirt she stole from Lexa’s apartment and the hoodie that the former detective gave Clarke at the cabin. The blonde pours herself some coffee into a mug and grabs it as she goes to the living room. It has been a few days since the email and Clarke’s mind is working a mile per minute with everything that is happening.

Later on the same day she got that email, Luna and Raven came to her place to talk about the investigation. The blonde isn’t sure what surprised her more: having Luna explaining some of the details of the investigation or the worry she saw in Raven’s eyes when they stepped inside Clarke and Octavia’s apartment. And although Clarke and Raven didn’t exactly talk about their fight the blonde knows they will be okay.

As Clarke grabs her laptop from the coffee table and nests herself in the couch, Octavia walks inside the living room with a cup of coffee in her hand and her laptop under her arm. The younger Blake sits down at the couch still munching the last bite of toast she had in the kitchen and looks at Clarke.

_“So what do we have to do today?”_

_“Monroe has texted me earlier to tell you that you have a few photos for the next update and I have a few articles to read before they are uploaded on the page.”_

_“What about the threat you got?”_

Octavia asks and Clarke looks at her with a pensive expression, she grabs her notebook to go over some notes she had written down after Luna and Raven had left.

_“I don’t know O, what Luna told us was just for us to know what was happening, I don’t want to break her trust like this, we can try to go over from another angle. I mean, we can, for example, mention the impact the case is having on Nia’s trial.”_

The blonde says and Octavia nods as she turns her attention over to her laptop at the same time the doorbell of their apartment rings and Clarke frowns.

_“I'll get it.”_

The blonde says as she gets up from the couch and Octavia looks at her.

_“You’re sure? We can try to peek through the curtains to see who is.”_

Octavia says carefully and Clarke shakes her head, both of them have been on edge with the situation, even Octavia who usually is rather pragmatic and fearless.

_“Or I can use the intercom and ask who it is like a normal person would.”_

The blonde says with a smile already moving to the entrance and picking the device to ask who is at the door. It doesn’t take long for Clarke to smile and press the button to let Luna and Raven inside the building. A few minutes later the couple is walking inside the apartment and Clarke notices a file in Luna’s hands.

_“Clarke, I’m sorry that we didn’t call to tell you we’re coming, but I have something I would like you to see.”_

Luna says and Clarke smiles as she leads Luna inside and invites her to take a seat on the couch, the detective sits down and looks at Clarke as Raven stands near the window looking outside.

_“Chief Indra and I were talking and she has a theory that I think it's plausible to check out. We already told you about our suspect, Dax, and that he has motives to be targeting you and Judge Pike. However, we haven’t found a link between him and Nia and there must be a reason why he targeted that court session specifically, but why?”_

Luna starts and Clarke looks at her taking a sip of her coffee to help her brain to work.

_“Maybe it was because Clarke and the Judge would be at the same place at the same time?”_

Octavia pipes up from her side of the couch besides Luna and the curly-haired detective looks at her with a nod.

_“That's what we thought too at first, surely to pull a move like the one he did in the courthouse, Dax would need time, and yet the biggest device was in the Judge’s chambers, not even close to the Judge and Clarke when everything went off during the trial and Nia was the one who got the worst of it.”_

_“You mentioned that in one of the videos two people were in it...”_

The younger Blake trails off narrowing her eyes in thought and Luna smiles knowing where the petite brunette is going in her line of thinking.

_“That's correct, and that's the reason why I'm coming here today. We can't find a link between Dax and Nia, but maybe you both can help us in finding a link between whoever is working with Dax and Nia.”_

Luna says and she looks up to see Raven with two mugs in her hands and offering one to her, one is unmistakably coffee for the Latina and the other one is a tea which Luna accepts with a thankful nod. Clarke raises one eyebrow at the Latina and Raven just smirks.

_“You might be too pissed with me to forget the proper etiquette but I still know your house princess.”_

Raven says teasingly and Clarke shakes her head with a fond smile but focuses her attention on Luna again.

_“I don’t understand how we can help when the FBI sent Anya and Echo to work with you?”_

_“That’s the thing; Anya and Echo don’t know the file, at least not as well as you two know it.”_

_“Not to mention the bureaucratic shit they are pulling with this new director of theirs.”_

Raven chimes in from her spot on the arm couch behind Octavia and Luna nods slightly.

_“What Raven is trying to say is that the FBI has a new director and he is a bit strict at some things, they don’t want to share information for fear that it leaks and compromises Nia’s trial. Anyway, you and Octavia know a lot about it, and Chief Indra and I have come up with a list of names, people who are close to Dax: former cellmates and his visitors’ log from the time he was in jail. Any name that can be related to Nia, something that explains why he targeted Nia’s trial will shed some light on the investigation at this moment.”_

_“I see, alright let me get my notes on the case and we can go over that list of yours.”_

Clarke says as she gets up from the couch at the same time Raven moves the curtains a little and gasps.

_“Holy shit!”_

The Latina says and Clarke looks at her from the other side of the room, Raven slowly turns from the window to see three expectant faces looking at her.

_“I just saw Lexa’s car passing by.”_

The Latina answers the silent question and Clarke tenses slightly with a shake of her head.

_“That’s impossible Ray and you know it.”_

The blonde says but moves in the direction of the window looking briefly at Luna who shakes her head showing that she is just as confused as Clarke feels.

_“Yeah, I know, I know, but how many more cars do you know in Boston like Kenzi?”_

The Latina inquires and Clarke walks over to the window looking out with Octavia behind her, she indeed sees the car passing by and narrows her eyes at it, but it can’t be Lexa if it was Luna would know. Pushing the doubts to the back of her mind the blonde reporter looks at Luna with a nod as she moves from the window and towards her bedroom.

_“Okay let’s check this list, I’ll be right back.”_

One hour later Luna looks at Clarke and Octavia with a beaming smile of victory in her lips as she reads one of the names on Clarke’s notebook.

_“This is our link, Richard Preston; he was one of Dax’s cellmates.”_

_“And he worked for Nia.”_

Clarke says pointing to the information in her notebook, Preston was a manager of a night club, Nia’s property, and although the man was arrested on a drug case, she always suspected that it was related to Nia somehow. Luna nods and grabs her phone to send a text over to Anya with the news.

_“So Dax is partnering with Preston, and Preston worked for Nia but he was arrested and convicted under the accusations of drug trafficking and he never mentioned her once as far as we know he was just using Nia’s club. Why is he targeting his former boss?”_

Octavia asks and before Luna can answer her Clarke is tapping on her notebook.

_“He probably hoped that Nia would get him out somehow, I know that Nia is linked to the trafficking of guns and tax evasion, I wouldn't be surprised if she dealt with drugs too.”_

Clarke says and Luna nods looking carefully at the blonde besides her.

_“That is a theory that I won't overrule but I have to ask you, Clarke…”_

_“I know, I won't be publishing any of this, not now anyway, I don't want to jeopardize your investigation.”_

The blonde says cutting off Luna’s words and the curly-haired detective nods thankfully at her. The blonde then looks at Raven who remains by the window looking intently at the outside.

_“Do you plan on staying there the whole day?”_

Clarke probes teasingly and Raven looks at her with a frown.

_“No, I was just looking, that car has been there for an eternity now and whoever is in it hasn't got out yet.”_

The Latina says and Clarke huffs as she gets up from the couch and marches over to the kitchen.

_“Alright, enough is enough, I'm going over there.”_

The blonde says and Luna widens her eyes at her.

_“Don't give me that look, Luna. Do you know something we don't?”_

Clarke asks harshly and Luna shakes her head with genuine confusion written on her features.

_“Well then, I'm just a normal citizen putting the trash outside.”_

The blonde says grabbing a black plastic bag and walking out of the apartment before any of her friends can say anything else.

**

Lexa is munching on some snacks when she sees familiar blonde hair on the other side of the street. A pair of ocean blue eyes look in her direction and on instinct, Lexa leans back in her seat but it's already too late, she was spotted, granted that her car is very noticeable, however, she was hoping that the blonde wouldn't notice it.

It doesn't take long for a familiar blonde woman to be knocking furiously on the car window and Lexa gulps as she sits up and opens the window.

_“What the hell do you think you're doing? Stalking me? When did you get here? More importantly Lexa, how are you walking again and no one knows?”_

The blonde asks, relieved, angry and frustrated all at once and Lexa doesn't even have a chance to speak as the blonde points a finger at her and shakes her head.

_“You know what? Don't bother with an answer, this is what you always do, taking decisions without speaking to anyone. Just get out of here or I'll call the cops.”_

Clarke says as she turns a bit red in anger and Lexa can't help but smirk at the last part of her sentence which only makes Clarke more frustrated.

_“I don't care if you are or were the cops Lexa; if you don't leave right now I'll file a restraining order against you.”_

The blonde says as she turns around and starts to walk back to the crossing in order to go back to the side of the street where her building is. She doesn’t even understand why she’s so mad at Lexa, but to have her there, in her neighborhood as if nothing has happened leaves her in an aggravated state. It all happens too fast for Lexa to fully grasp what is happening. She watches Clarke go and then notices a black car, the same one she has seen before on the street.

The car stops and Lexa feels a tingling sensation in the back of her neck. She steps out of the car and looks over at the blonde who does not realize what is about to happen.

_“Clarke!”_

The brunette shouts in despair at the same time the car speeds in the reporter’s direction. The blonde turns around and all she sees is Lexa running in her direction, the next thing she notices is Lexa launching herself at her effectively pushing her out off the road as they fall on the sidewalk with Lexa angling her body to protect Clarke from the fall as a car passes at high speed.

Clarke is completely taken aback and she is about to push Lexa away when the car stops and Lexa watches horrified as the car starts moving in reverse and a man appears at the window with a gun in his hands. The brunette doesn’t have much time to think she simply moves her body to protect the blonde but before she notices four shots are fired and she looks up to see Luna crouching behind a small wall with her gun in her hands. The car stops and the man adjusts his position to have a better shot, Luna looks over the wall in a split of a second and she aims her gun and fires two shots, one bullet she is sure it hits the man in the shoulder at the same time the car was starting to move backwards again. The car stops as the man grunts and is pulled inside.

What happens next catches Luna off guard, the car stops and the door opens as a man is pushed out of it, he is clearly losing too much blood and in pain, the muzzle of a gun appears at the window as soon as the door is shut and a final shot is fired killing the man right there in cold blood in the street.

Lexa watches transfixed at the unfolding scene and she spares a glance at Clarke who is gripping the collar of her jacket as for dear life. As soon as the car leaves at a high-speed Luna gets up from her covered position and looks at Lexa with surprise and relief at the same time. Raven and Octavia walk out of the building’s entrance and immediately go over to check on Clarke. The blonde lets go of Lexa’s jacket and accepts Octavia’s help to get up.

_“What the hell was that?”_

Raven asks as she looks at Luna who is rushing to Lexa’s side, the former detective is still on the ground and she is visibly pale and sweating.

_“That was an attempted murder.”_

Lexa says almost breathlessly as Luna leans down next to her to check on her.

_“Lexa, what the hell were you thinking? Are you alright?”_

The curly-haired woman asks in worry and frustration and Clarke looks at Lexa, the brunette is not moving, she is just sitting on the floor with her hands on her knees looking at her feet, and even Clarke can see the woman is in distress, Raven sees it too because she takes a careful step bending as much as she can with her brace on her leg and placing one hand on Lexa’s shoulder and another one close to her knee.

_“Hey Lexa, you’re alright, take deep breaths for me okay. Let’s get you up.”_

The Latina says softly and Lexa does as she was told, taking deep breaths and letting Luna and Raven help her to stand up. Clarke watches as Lexa’s legs wobble a little but the brunette nods sighing in relief as she feels a drop of warm sweat rolling down her face. She wipes it off with the back of her hand and realizes that it’s not sweat, it is blood; she must have hit her forehead in the fall and didn’t even notice.

_“Let me call Abby, you need to be checked.”_

Raven says and Lexa shakes her head.

_“I’m fine.”_

Lexa says and Clarke huffs in annoyance, Lexa is clearly not fine but she is too damn proud to accept anyone's help and that infuriates Clarke to no end.

_“Bring her in, I can clean that and call my mom.”_

Clarke says not even sparing a small glance at Lexa and Octavia and Raven share a knowing look. The Latina looks at Luna with worry in her eyes.

_“I’m fine, go with them.”_

_“You’re sure? I mean those were a lot of shots.”_

Raven says, looking around at the people gathering on the sidewalks and then at Luna again, raking her eyes over her girlfriend’s body as if to make sure she’s not injured and the detective gives her a reassuring nod.

_“I’m fine; most of those shots were mine.”_

The curly-haired detective says with a smirk and Raven smiles softly at her as she looks at the door of the building.

_“Go with them, make sure Lexa is alright and Clarke too. I already called for backup so I’ll wait here for them.”_

Luna says softly and Raven nods as she squeezes Luna’s hand and then follows Octavia and the others inside.

**

As the women enter Clarke's apartment a tense silence falls over them in an oppressive hug. Lexa silently moves to the kitchen sink to wash her face as Octavia goes to the bathroom to get the first aid kit. Clarke watches in silence as Lexa moves in the kitchen with familiar ease and Raven shakes her head at the scene. Octavia comes back with the kit and gives it to Clarke and then walks back and leans in to whisper a few words for only Raven to hear.

_“We should leave them alone.”_

The younger Blake says in a low voice and Raven nods and takes a few steps in Lexa’s direction, the Latina places one hand on the former detective’s shoulder squeezing it slightly.

_“Thank you.”_

The Latina says and Lexa understands the meaning behind her words, she nods slightly and then Raven and Octavia walk out of the apartment. When the two friends close the door Clarke looks at Lexa and points to one of the chairs around the kitchen table. The green-eyed brunette carefully walks and takes a seat and Clarke starts cleaning the cut on her forehead with tender care. The blonde is not sure how she feels about everything that just happened, Lexa is walking again and she just showed up and saved her. Clarke shakes her head as she puts a small bandage on the cut and looks at Lexa.

_“I don't need you to save me.”_

The blonde then says harshly with lingering anger and Lexa gulps but remains silent.

_“I mean it Lexa, who do you think you are? It's only your opinion and your decisions that matter. You always have to be the hero at your own expense.”_

Clarke says and her voice sounds even harsher and raspier than before yet somehow Lexa remains calm. When Clarke is finished with the bandage she huffs and goes to the bathroom to wash her hands and put the kit in its place. When she enters the kitchen she finds Lexa cleaning the drops of blood that had fallen in the kitchen sink with enough care for the blonde to notice that she is being thoughtful and for some reason, Lexa’s calm demeanor and silence only aggravates her state more.

_“Who do you think you are?”_

The blonde says and Lexa turns around, putting her hands in the air as if to show she doesn't want to argue but Clarke just shakes her head.

_“You told me that we were a mistake, you left me, you ran away when I needed you and now you're walking again and just show up here to save the day?”_

The blonde says taking a step in Lexa’s direction and the brunette gulps down the knot in her throat, she wasn't sure what she was expecting but she should have known how Clarke would react.

_“You have no right to come here as if nothing has happened. You. Left. Me.”_

Clarke says punctuating every word with a jab of her finger at Lexa’s chest. The blonde moved so close to Lexa that the former detective backed up until her back hit the kitchen sink. There's tension and electricity in the looks being exchanged and Lexa’s perfume hits Clarke, the autumn scent of wood and flowers and wet grass invades her nostrils and the blonde looks at Lexa’s plump lips. Before she can even have second thoughts about it the blonde is pulling Lexa by the collar of her jacket for a rough kiss.

Their lips clash as Clarke's tongue runs over Lexa’s teeth, it's messy and when their tongues fight and dance together for dominance the blonde draws back slightly to bite Lexa’s bottom lip harshly enough to draw blood. Suddenly the blonde backs away completely and looks sternly at Lexa.

_“This was a goodbye kiss. I don't need you, not anymore.”_

Clarke says with a resolution that leaves Lexa baffled and speechless, bowing her head and sighing in defeat the brunette walks out of Clarke's apartment with a heavy heart and a troubled mind. Once Clarke is alone in the kitchen the blonde can’t help but cry as her mind goes back to what happened outside. Someone tried to kill her not once but twice now and Clarke feels scared and unsure of what to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please stay calm! Lol!  
> Thanks for reading it and as usual I urge you to leave your comments and your love for this story!  
> Stay safe and wash your hands! :)


	7. Invitations, doubts and stubborn friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Welcome back!  
> As usual thanks for reading and leaving me your comments and sharing your love for this story with me!  
> I have to say your passionate responses in the latest chapters are being amazing and I get all of your points of view and frustrations! Do not worry this is still a Clexa fic.  
> With that said this is calmer a chapter, I have to be honest this was a bit hard to write as it's a transition chapter and I wasn't all too excited about it but it's here now and I hope you enjoy it! :)  
> Stay safe and have a nice weekend.

**Chapter 7 – Invitations, doubts and stubborn friends**

By the time Clarke steps out of the building to talk to Luna, she has already washed her face and erased the track her tears left on her cheeks. Clarke takes a step further forward and sees the commotion in the street, several people having gathered outside to see what is happening and the police officers are securing the perimeter outside the yellow plastic tape and the ambulance, the squad cars and the sounds of sirens and muttered orders make everything feel real. And as Clarke’s adrenaline rush slowly fades the blonde feels the worry creeping up on her.

_“Hey, what happened up there, Lexa came out and didn't say a word. Did you guys talk?”_

Octavia asks as she takes a step towards Clarke and the blonde shakes her head.

_“I told her it's over.”_

The blonde says and Octavia looks at her as if her friend had grown two heads.

_“What? What do you mean you told her it was over? Clarke, I'm sorry but are you crazy? Did you hit your head on the floor too? Lexa just shows up here, walking and saves your ass and you tell her it's over?”_

Octavia asks, completely taken aback and baffled by it all and the blonde shakes her head with a frustrated sigh.

_“She doesn't have that right, not now.”_

Clarke says sternly and Octavia looks carefully at her, she has known Clarke for years to see that something more is behind the blonde's words.

_“What do you mean?”_

_“I mean that I'm happy that Lexa is walking again and quite frankly relieved, she saved me O, she saved me and ended up in a wheelchair because of my mistakes, but now I have a target on my back, I won't let that put in jeopardy her recent recovery. I called my mom and she thinks Lexa should be checked out properly and that she should take it easy.”_

The blonde says sounding defeated and Octavia understands what her friend is doing, even so, she looks at Clarke with a serious expression.

_“I understand what you're trying to do here, believe me Clarke; I do, but your problem and Lexa’s problem is exactly that: you don't communicate.”_

The younger Blake says and Clarke shakes her head but Octavia places one hand on the blonde's shoulder and squeezes it a little before Clarke can refute her words.

_“Listen to me okay? When Lexa went away she took away your chance to choose to stay with her regardless of her situation, and now you're doing the same. I've been by your side since that moment, I saw you getting involved with Niylah and it didn't work, I never said anything but enough is enough! You and Lexa are still not over each other and the longer you miss-communicate the harder it will be for both of you. Both of you have to sit down and talk and make amends for all the shit that has happened. I’m telling you this because I’m your friend and I can’t watch you going on like this anymore.”_

_“Octavia…”_

_“Don’t, let me finish, a few days ago you said you wanted to get your shit together, you found Lexa at this cabin in the middle of nowhere and went there to get her back, you feel responsible for what happened to her, I know you do. Don’t you think you should tell her that?”_

Octavia says and her voice is stern and soft at the same time and Clarke looks at her, really looks at her friend’s serious blue-ish eyes and sighs, every single word Octavia has said is true and Clarke can’t deal with that right now. Not when she spots Lexa talking with Chief Indra a few feet away from her but stealing glances at the blonde as if to make sure that Clarke is alright.

_“Octavia, Clarke thank god you’re okay when Luna called the station to ask for backup I didn’t know what to think.”_

Bellamy says as he walks over to them and holds Octavia in a tight relieved hug but then stops unsure of what to do with Clarke and the blonde smiles at him and Bellamy hugs her too. None of them notice the soft smile on Lexa’s lips when she watches the scene from afar.

**

_“Are you sure Anya?”_

Luna asks with some frustration dripping in her voice and Anya nods as she turns to look at the covered body on the floor and then looks at Luna again.

_“Unfortunately, yes, I’m sure.”_

_“Fuck, we’re back to square one now.”_

The curly-haired detective says and Anya sighs as she places a hand on her shoulder, in a soft touch that surprises even Anya.

_“Hey, we’re going to solve this, especially now that we have Lexa back.”_

Anya says looking over to where the chief is talking to Lexa and Luna nods as Lincoln walks towards them with something akin to worry in his brown eyes.

_“Hey, we’re good to go.”_

The kind doctor says and Luna nods as she looks at the body being lifted from the ground and carried to the ambulance.

_“Okay, let’s tell the Chief we’re done here.”_

Anya says and starts walking as Lincoln looks at Luna and the detective nods looking at him with a sigh.

_“You don’t even need to say it; I don’t think they should stay here either.”_

The curly-haired woman says and Lincoln nods and he looks around to see his girlfriend talking with Clarke and Bellamy.

_“You know Clarke will fight you on this.”_

_“It’s for her own safety, I know she’s stubborn but she also knows the risk is now higher than before, it’s the second time she has been targeted now.”_

_“I know, I will ask Octavia to stay with me, but I know she won’t do it if Clarke decides to stay at their apartment.”_

Lincoln says and Luna nods as she looks around, Anya is still a few away from them and Raven is talking with Lexa and Indra.

_“If nothing comes up she stays with me and Raven.”_

Luna says assuredly and Lincoln smiles at her, they are both caring and gentle and the kind doctor knows that Luna will make sure Clarke will have a safe place to stay. Lincoln would offer his home if he hadn’t turned the spare room into a sort of painting space.

**

Chief Indra arrived as fast as possible at the scene upon the news that someone had attempted to murder Clarke and that she was saved by Lexa. After being briefed by Luna of what happened previously, Indra spoke with Lincoln about the body and the doctor didn’t have much to say as the bullet wounds were all the indication Indra needed to know what had transpired. It was only when Indra had made sure that the perimeter was secured and asked Octavia about her roommate that she saw Lexa coming from the blonde’s apartment, and as soon as Indra saw Lexa she went straight ahead to speak with her.

Raven apparently was expecting Lexa too because she strode forward towards her and Indra watched with a curious gaze as the two brunettes exchanged some whispered words and if Lexa seemed calm and collected Raven looked on her verge of calling a war, the Latina rolled her eyes enough times to have them stuck in the back of her head, but finally, Lexa seemingly subdued the Latina’s frustration and Indra took it as her cue to approach them both.

_“I want to meet you at the station as soon as possible but I do agree with Raven, you need to be checked out.”_

_“I’m fine Chief.”_

Lexa says and Indra looks sternly at her, when she got closer to Lexa and Raven she heard the Latina telling Lexa to call Abby and she hastily agreed with her.

_“I’m not telling this as your Chief, but if you insist on it, you won’t leave me any other choice but to order you to go to the hospital and at least let Doctor Griffin check you over.”_

Indra says firmly and Lexa looks at Raven who nods and looks at the Chief.

_“I’ll go with her Chief, to make sure she sees Abby.”_

_“Thank you, Reyes.”_

Indra says and Raven nods solemnly and Lexa narrows her eyes at her and waits for Indra to bow her head once and then walk over to where Echo is talking to a few officers in blue.

_“I never imagined that I would see you acting so formally.”_

Lexa says with a smile and Raven shrugs her shoulders.

_“I’m a quick learner and Indra is intense as fuck, but I can manage.”_

_“I knew you would.”_

Lexa says, smirking slightly and Raven nods at her, they spot Luna walking in their direction with Anya, and Lincoln and Lexa is about to meet them halfway when Raven places one hand on her shoulder making Lexa stop to look at her.

_“I never thanked you for what you did. Convincing Indra to take me in and Luna too, I know it was all you Lexa, even though I didn’t expect to be working with the police department, you somehow had the insight to see it fitting and I thank you for that.”_

Raven says genuinely and Lexa just gives her a small smile in return, amidst the chaos that happened when Lexa was shot she did some good, she knew that the Latina would be a great addition to the station and for what she heard her assumptions were correct.

**

_“So, what did the Chief say? Are you back?”_

The FBI agent asks when she comes closer to Lexa with Luna and Lincoln behind her looking expectantly at Lexa too; the green-eyed woman looks at Anya with a soft smile and nods.

_“She wants me to see Abby first.”_

Lexa says with some frustration and Anya shrugs her shoulders but a relieved smile plays on her lips when she looks at her friend.

_“It's only understandable that after so long she wants to make sure you’re really alright. But for what is worth it's good to have you back kiddo.”_

Anya says as she places one arm over Lexa’s shoulders and pulls her in for a half embrace while ruffling her hair in the process and Lexa shakes her head at her friend's antics as she pushes her away with a glare but then softens a little.

_“Thank you.”_

Lexa says gently and Anya smirks with a nod as she understands the meaning behind Lexa’s words. The FBI agent knows that Lexa is not just thanking her for the call she made a few days before that pushed Lexa to walk again, she is thanking Anya for all the support she provided her in the last few months even when Lexa thought she would just disappear again as she did when Costia was murdered. But Anya had promised herself to be there for Lexa in the best and worst moments and she made sure to help Lexa in whatever the brunette needed.

_**A little over 3 months ago**_

_“Hey, kiddo room service for you.”_

_Anya says as she walks inside the hospital room with a paper bag in her hand._

_“I'm not hungry.”_

_Lexa says distractedly with her eyes still closed and Anya shakes her head with a fond smile. It has been a few days since Lexa was shot and had surgery and Anya already knows something isn't quite right with her friend but she hasn’t pushed her to talk about it. Instead and to Lexa’s surprise, Anya is coming to the hospital every day keeping more than her promise of keeping in touch._

_“Yeah, I've heard the nurse complaining that you don't like the hospital food and that's why I checked with Doctor Griffin and I brought you something better.”_

_Anya says and Lexa opens her eyes to look at her friend and she sees the paper bag with the logo from Redemption’s Bar on it._

_“You went to Redemption’s?”_

_Lexa asks with shining green eyes and Anya shares a rare small gentle smile at Lexa’s happiness as the FBI agent helps Lexa move in the bed to be in a comfortable sitting position to be able to eat properly._

_“Well in order to make you behave better and give some peace to the nurses I thought it was for the best. Besides, I know that the food in a hospital is tasteless.”_

_Anya says pulling two containers from the bag and opening one with soup to offer it to Lexa the detective easily takes it and happily looks at it with a smile but then frowns and looks at Anya._

_“How do you know that? That the food is tasteless? I mean I don’t recall you being in the hospital when you were working at the station.”_

_Lexa asks as she smells the soup, surprised to recognize it’s her aunt’s old veggie soup that reminds Lexa of the times when she was just a skinny kid. Anya takes a container for herself and sits in the chair next to Lexa’s bed._

_“Well let's say I tasted it first-hand since then.”_

_Anya says casually and Lexa looks at her with a surprised expression. The FBI agent leans back in the chair and notices the silent question in Lexa’s eyes._

_“Okay, bedtime-story time it seems. A little over one year ago, my team was investigating this terrorist cell in Boston. We believed that they were planning an attack here in the city. We sent an undercover agent to infiltrate in the group so we could take them out from the inside. But after a while, the agent went MIA. Fearing that he has been found out I went undercover too. I had Echo and the rest of the team as back up. It didn’t take me long to not only find him but learn that he went rogue and when he found out that I was after him, well, let’s say he wasn’t too happy to see me, he sold me out to the terrorists and hell broke loose. Echo was clever enough to cover that possibility and they were monitoring me almost 24/7, which means that if I didn’t report in time she knew it was because something wasn’t right. Obviously, when I was found I couldn’t contact her, she had my geolocation thanks to the GPS tracker on my boots and that’s how she found me in time. Some of the people in the terrorist cell were just kids, teens, when they found out I was FBI they tried to protect me and that’s what gave me enough time to wait for Echo. When she found me I was in this old building, leaning against a wall with a knife wound in my abdomen wondering how I could save myself and the other two kids who tried to protect me.”_

_Anya tells the story calmly but even Lexa can see Anya is not as nonchalant about it as she is trying to sound, it’s the slight twitch of Anya’s lip and the way she cast her eyes away that tell Lexa how complicated the situation was for the FBI agent._

_“Damn, that's fucked up.”_

_“Yeah, but thanks to Echo’s insight and the way she had our team ready for my extraction at any moment, they acted fast, and even though it wasn’t a clean job we prevented an attack that would be surely devastating to the city.”_

_“What about the agent that went rogue?”_

_Lexa asks curiously and Anya shakes her head with a click of her tongue._

_“He knew he had to face court and that he would be charged with treason, he committed suicide before he could get arrested, well I still got the better outcome, after all, I just ended up spending a few days in the hospital.”_

_Anya says and Lexa looks at her realizing that all the time she thought Anya was a terrible friend, the FBI agent was actually learning and working at Quantico to be the great FBI agent that she is now. Lexa shakes her head; while she was bitter at Anya, the dirty-blonde was doing a hell of a job in the FBI; sometimes things are not just black and white as it seems. Anya looks at Lexa almost as if she can read Lexa’s mind and shakes her head with a smirk._

_“Being in the hospital wasn't all that bad though, although the food was indeed tasteless there were cute nurses, there was this one cute nurse, she kept checking in on me and I didn't mind the extra attention.”_

_Anya says with a smug grin and Lexa shakes her head with a fond smile._

_“Is that so?”_

_“Yeah, we actually dated for a while when I got out, but it didn't work out, both of us were too focused on our work to be fully committed to a relationship.”_

_Anya says and Lexa can see now that even though Anya never really shows it, one of the reasons why she enjoys working with the Kru so much is because she still looks at 13th station as family. Although Echo has become a friend to Anya, Lexa supposes she hasn't had many of those, probably because Echo has been the only constant presence on Anya’s team since the beginning. They fall silent for a while eating their soups and when Anya finishes hers she nods and looks at Lexa with a smile._

_“Your aunt wasn't kidding, this soup is really good.”_

_Anya says as she watches Lexa taking her time while eating and the detective nods._

_“Yeah, she always made me this when I was sick. How is she?”_

_Lexa asks as Anya takes the empty container from Lexa’s hands going through the bag to retrieve the rest._

_“She is better now, she's grateful that you're alive and keeping herself busy at work. She's actually changing the menu and including more variety of dishes. The soup is part of this week’s experiment, it seems to be going down well though, and she’s even looking for more people to work with her and Murphy. And the takeaway has been proving to be a great idea too.”_

_Anya says and Lexa smiles with a chuckle._

_“You have no idea how hard it was to convince her to get those bags for the take-away, I mean even the idea of the takeaway was a hard one to get her to agree on, the first time Murphy brought it up she wanted to fire him. It’s good to know things are working out.”_

_Lexa says and Anya nods as she places the burger and fries in Lexa’s lap and the brunette’s eyes shine brighter as she picks one of the fries and tries it with a satisfied sound of contentment. They eat peacefully in silence and Lexa really enjoys a meal for the first time since she woke up in the hospital. When the meal is done and Anya is getting ready to leave Lexa calls out to her and Anya looks at her friend._

_“Thank you.”_

_“No problem kiddo, look I know I can’t change what I did wrong in the past…”_

_“Anya.”_

_Lexa says cutting Anya’s words but the FBI agent shakes her head and looks seriously at Lexa, when Lexa was shot Anya felt this heavy pain and guilt in her chest, she was confronted with the knowledge that life is too short, and although she was always aware of it in her line of duty something felt different. She might not be one to talk, but she doesn’t want to leave this world without having proper conversations with some people in her life and one of those people is Lexa._

_“No, hear me out, listen, I can’t change the past but I’m here now, and I just want you to know that I’m gonna be here for you for whatever you need.”_

_Anya says and Lexa nods, they share a small smile and then Anya leaves the room as Lexa thinks about what the future has in store for her now that she can’t move her legs._

**Present moment**

_“Are you girls okay?”_

Lincoln asks as he joins Clarke and Octavia with Luna beside him, Octavia sighs as she hugs her boyfriend and feels the peaceful beating of his heart.

_“We’re good, better than the other guy over there.”_

Octavia says motioning with her head towards the ambulance a few feet away from them and Lincoln nods with a smile, he is relieved that his girlfriend is being able to at least maintain her dark humor.

_“Listen, I was talking to Luna and we think you girls should stay somewhere else for a few days.”_

Lincoln says and Clarke sighs, she never thought that her life would change so much in a few days, not only she can’t go to work but now it’s not even safe to stay at her place.

_“I assume that Octavia is going to stay with you.”_

Clarke says and Lincoln smiles apologetically.

_“I would take you in too, but I’ve turned my spare room into an office.”_

_“That’s fine Lincoln; I think I’m going to see my mother and see if I can stay with her.”_

Clarke says and Luna nods as her phone vibrates in her pocket, she pulls the device out to see a message from Raven to let her know she is going to the hospital with Lexa.

_“Let me know if you need anything Clarke, I have a spare bedroom and you’re welcome to stay there, it’s just for a couple of days, I assure you that we’re going to get ahead of this.”_

Luna says with a calm and assuring voice and Clarke nods and looks around, Chief Indra is now speaking to Anya and Echo but Lexa and Raven are no longer at the perimeter, the blonde sighs as she focuses her attention back at her friends and Luna smiles as if she could sense what Clarke is thinking.

_“Lexa and Raven are going to see your mother now Clarke and we’re going to wrap it up here and go back to the station.”_

_“Do I have to go over there too?”_

Clarke asks with a tired sigh and Luna offers an understanding sad smile.

_“I’m afraid so, we have to take a full official statement, but you can take your time, sort out first where you are going to stay for the next few days and call me when you feel ready to come over to the station.”_

_“Thank you, Luna.”_

Clarke says and Luna shrugs with a smile.

_“I’m just doing my job, but I want you to know that we appreciate the help you gave us earlier.”_

The curly-haired detective says placing one hand on Clarke’s shoulder to give it a gentle squeeze and Clarke nods. Bellamy and Lincoln say their goodbyes and depart as Octavia looks at Clarke and they go back inside their apartment to discuss what to do next and cleaning some things. After all with all the commotion of the day they hadn’t even had the time to make the beds or do dishes.

_“So you’re going to ask your mom to stay with her?”_

Octavia asks when she is done with the living room and her bedroom and Clarke is finishing cleaning the sink.

_“Yeah, I mean, I appreciate Luna’s offer but if my mom doesn’t mind I will stay there, we can still work remotely together and like Luna said it’s just for a few days until they have more information about the case.”_

_“Alright, I’ll take you to the hospital then.”_

_“You don’t have to do that O.”_

_“Yeah, I don’t but I’ll do it anyway. Besides I want to know if Lexa is really alright. I mean, she was in a wheelchair just a few days ago and now she’s walking and just showed up here to do what she did, I want to know she is really recovered.”_

Octavia says and Clarke looks at her through the corner of her eyes as she stays silent and Octavia shakes her head at Clarke’s stubbornness.

_“Don’t give me that look Clarke; I know you’re thinking the same.”_

_“Okay, I admit I’m worried about her.”_

_“See? It wasn’t so hard to admit that out loud was it?”_

Octavia says teasingly and Clarke rolls her eyes but smiles, her mind and heart still running a mile per minute, even if the adrenaline of what happened is fading away, the blonde can’t help but feel her heart beating wilder in her ribcage at the fact that Lexa is walking again. Even though this time the blonde was the one pushing Lexa away she is harboring the idea of seeing her again in the hospital just to make sure she is okay.

**

When Lexa walks out of Abby’s office with the older Griffin behind her she is surprised to find not only Raven but also Octavia and Clarke waiting for her.

_“How is she Abby?”_

Raven asks as soon as Lexa steps outside the office, cutting off anyone else even before they could think about speaking and Clarke looks at her and then at her mother as Abby places an affectionate hand on Lexa’s shoulder.

_“She is fine; she's cleared for work, although I advise her to go easy.”_

Abby says with a gentle smile and Clarke sighs in relief as Raven takes a step further forward and smirks at Abby.

_“I'll keep an eye on her.”_

The Latina says and Lexa scoffs as Abby takes a step further in Clarke's direction and hugs her tightly.

_“Clarke, honey, I'm so relieved to see you here. After your call, I was so worried. Lexa explained what happened. Are you okay?”_

The older Griffin asks and Clarke nods into her mother's shoulder with a contented sigh, feeling her mother's hug makes Clarke feel reassured and calm somehow. Lexa and Raven watch from a few feet away and the Latina can tell that Lexa feels uncomfortable for some reason.

_“What's wrong?”_

Raven asks as Clarke answers some of her mother's questions and Lexa looks at the Latina.

_“I don't know, it feels like I'm intruding, we should leave them, Clarke doesn't want me here.”_

Lexa says and Raven scoffs looking at the green-eyed woman in disbelief.

_“You're kidding me right? Why do you think that Clarke came here in the first place?”_

The Latina asks dumbfounded at the same time Clarke looks at them but diverts her eyes quickly.

_“That's why I came here mom; with all this happening the police department thinks it is better if I don't stay at home and I was thinking that maybe I could stay at your place.”_

The blonde says in her normal husky tone and Abby smiles gently at her in a way only a mother could.

_“Honey, that place is as much mine as it is yours, you're always welcome there. But these people seem to know a lot about you, it won't take long for them to link you to me and find you there.”_

Abby says carefully and Clarke is about to argue when Raven looks pointedly at Lexa bumping shoulder with hers and the brunette looks at the Latina, there’s a sort of silent exchange where Raven keeps looking deliberately at Lexa and the broody brunette shakes her head but then sighs with an imperceptible nod and clears her throat.

_“I know it's not my place but what your mother is saying is right Clarke, whoever these people are they are dangerous and they won't stop. Moving to a place, like your mother's house it will be easy to find you. I'm afraid staying with your mother would put both of you in danger.”_

Lexa says softly and Clarke wants to argue just to spite her, but even Clarke can see the reasoning behind Lexa’s words. With a defeated sigh she gestures her understanding at Lexa and looks around uncertain of what to do or say. Octavia is going to stay with Lincoln, and Bellamy doesn’t have space in his house, the blonde sighs, and Raven looks at her.

_“Look, Clarke, you can stay at my apartment, but I'm moving out this weekend so you'll have to find some other place. I mean, I'm sure Luna won't mind you staying with us but I'll tell beforehand that we have lots of amazing loud sex.”_

The Latina says with a smirk as Abby blushes and shakes her head at the young woman's bluntness and Lexa’s eyes wide at Raven as if to admonish her but the broody brunette is completely aware of what Raven is trying to pull off here.

_“You can stay at my place.”_

Lexa says in a small voice and Clarke narrows her eyes at her with a firm shake of her head.

_“Absolutely not.”_

The blonde says and Lexa raises her hands in the hair, her palms directed at Clarke in a calm movement clearly trying not to antagonize the blonde.

_“I can go back to the cabin, or stay with my aunt, no one will track you there and you’ll be safe and it’s fairly close to Lincoln’s too in case you and Octavia want to work together.”_

Lexa says and Clarke looks at her, really looks at her, and sees the genuine concern in her dazzling green eyes.

_“That’s not what I had in mind, but okay, please Clarke can you at least consider it?”_

Raven says looking at Clarke and Abby looks from Raven to Lexa with some apprehension in her brown eyes and Lexa reads her worry well, she bows her head once in acknowledgment and faces Abby.

_“She'll be safe there.”_

Lexa says and her tone is calm but firm, trustworthy, and assured; Abby nods placing one hand on the brunette’s shoulder and squeezing it slightly.

_“Thank you, Lexa.”_

The older Griffin says and Lexa nods with a small smile. As Raven and Lexa start to walk out Clarke looks at her mother to find her staring at Lexa’s retreating figure with something akin to sadness and regret. The blonde then looks at Octavia with a soft nod and the younger Blake smiles and walks over to the chairs to gather their things as Clarke takes a step closer to her mother.

_“You’re sure everything is alright with Lexa?”_

Clarke asks looking intently at her mother and Abby sighs.

_“Lexa is fine; we knew she could walk again.”_

_“Then why do you look so worried and pensive?”_

Clarke insists once more and Abby wonders if her daughter’s innate curiosity is a trait from Jake or herself.

_“I was just thinking about Titus.”_

The woman says and Clarke narrows her eyes at her mother’s answer.

_“The Mayor? What does he have to do with Lexa?”_

Clarke asks clearly baffled and even more curious than before and Abby shakes her head in a conflict of feelings.

_“When Lexa was shot, she needed a blood transfusion, we were having some problems with the blood bank and it was the Mayor’s blood that helped her.”_

Abby says and Clarke looks into her mother’s eyes, brown and gentle but with a cloud of worry behind them, she didn’t know about this, and now that she knows she isn’t sure of what to make of it.

_“There’s something else that you’re not telling me, if it’s about Lexa I want to know what it is.”_

Clarke says with a firm tone and Abby smiles at the love she can see in her daughter’s ocean eyes.

_“I know you care for her, but it isn’t really my place to tell you, or yours to know for that matter. Titus, erm, the mayor tried to reach out to Lexa when she got out of the hospital, but she shut the world out when she left, she’s not answering his calls.”_

_“Well, she has her reasons.”_

The blonde comments not understanding why is her mother so suddenly concerned and careful about the Mayor’s life and feelings, she doesn’t even understand what happened for Abby to refer to the man by his first name.

_“He saved her Clarke, and I think you should be grateful to him too. Now, I know this is awkward but if you could talk to Lexa about it...”_

Abby trails off as her daughter grows a little restless and the older Griffin smiles and holds Clarke’s hands in her own.

_“Look, I know you’re not fond of him and you have your reasons, but if you’re considering Lexa’s offer to stay with her maybe you can give a second thought to this too. Titus saved Lexa, and she listens to you, she wouldn’t be back in Boston and walking if it wasn’t for you. So please think about it.”_

Abby asks softly and Clarke is baffled at the genuine care her mother is showing, albeit reluctantly the blonde reporter nods as her mother is paged and sighs.

_“I really have to go. Stay safe and call me.”_

Abby says with a smile and then she turns to sprint in the direction of the call as Clarke watches her with a turmoil of emotions in her mind.

**

Anya lifts her head and takes her eyes from the screen to look at Aden and Luna walking inside the common room of the Kru.

_“Lincoln is going to perform some tests and then the autopsy on our guy although we already know what caused his death.”_

Aden says and Anya nods as Luna’s phone starts ringing and she picks it up to accept the call as she takes a few steps back. It doesn’t take long for the curly-haired detective to walk back inside with a smile on her lips.

“Any news about Lexa?”

Anya asks as Luna nods and sits on her chair as Miller, Echo, and Roan look expectantly at her.

_“Lexa and Raven are on their way here.”_

Luna says and Miller’s eyes twinkle with happiness.

_“Lexa is back? Really back?”_

The detective asks, he didn’t even get the chance to talk to Lexa at the scene and Luna nods with a relieved smile.

_“She’s been cleared to work.”_

The woman says and Miller beams with joy leaning back in his chair.

_“That’s the fucking best news today.”_

Nathan says and Anya smirks as Roan looks at her with a fond smile.

_“I don’t know what you told her, but I’m glad to know she is finally back.”_

The man says and Anya shrugs her shoulders with a shit-eating grin on her face.

_“I just did what you guys were all too scared to do, I called her and told her that blondie was in danger and that she needed to pull her head out of her ass and walk to save her.”_

Anya says casually but Luna can see past her seemingly nonchalant tone of voice, although Luna doesn’t doubt that those were more or less Anya’s words she assumes that something more clicked inside Lexa’s brain to make her walk again.

_“Well I suppose your methodology is rather tough but it seems to get results.”_

Luna replies with a smile and the people in the room smile at the banter. The knowledge that Lexa is back is like a breath of fresh air. The Chief walks out of the office and looks around, she notices right away the change in the Kru’s mood, even if they are all aware of the seriousness of what happened with Clarke; the fact that Lexa is coming back is lifting everyone’s spirits.

_“Alright Kru, what do we have so far?”_

Indra asks and Luna looks at her.

_“We are waiting on Lincoln’s preliminary report on our dead guy but we can confirm his ID, and the cause of death was determined at the crime scene. But Lincoln wants to see if he can gather more information about him through a medical examination.”_

Luna says and Indra nods and looks at Roan.

_“Has Nia said anything we can use in the investigation?”_

The Chief asks looking from Roan to Miller and Nathan looks at Roan expectantly.

_“No Chief, not a word from her since we went there. But I’m not surprised, I know my mother well enough now to say that if she didn’t really know Dax until now she will use her people to find him now that she knows who he is. I’m her son, but I know now what she is capable of, she is cunning and intelligent, she won’t wait for us to present results if she finds him before we do.”_

Roan says calmly and Indra can see some tension in his body language at his words and admission about his mother’s character, the Chief has known Roan for quite a few years, she can only imagine that Roan must feel conflicted with his mother’s action and his love for her despite their relationship but the woman trusts Roan enough to think we will remain loyal to the team.

_“Alright, so far it seems that Dax is targeting only Clarke based on his latest actions, but I won’t dismiss the videos and what already happened at the courthouse. Judge Pike and Nia are also being targeted. I called Nia to know if she wanted protection but she said she doesn’t need it, according to her words she has the best private security company working for her.”_

_“What about Clarke, are we going to send a patrol car over to her place too?”_

Roan asks and his gentle tone surprises Indra, even though she knows everyone on the team took a liking to the blonde reporter, she wasn’t expecting Roan to be the one asking that question. Luna stands up from her desk and looks at Indra and Roan.

_“Lincoln and I were talking about it earlier; we don’t think it’s safe for Clarke and Octavia to stay at their apartment. Octavia will stay with Lincoln and I’m not sure about Clarke, but if needs be she can stay with me.”_

Luna says and Indra resists the urge to smile at her kindness, Luna’s calm and gentle ways always remind Indra that one must have hope in humankind despite all the horrible things they see in the line of duty. The Chief looks around and places her hands behind her back.

_“Alright, I believe Lexa will arrive shortly, as soon as she is here, tell her to meet me in my office and call me if you find anything on the case. I’ll call Judge Pike to find out if he wants protection.”_

Indra says and everyone nods as the woman walks out of the Kru room to return to her regular office so she can have a proper conversation with Lexa once she arrives at the station.

**

Dax is pacing with his hands in his pockets when he hears the sounds of footsteps coming closer. High heels! He can tell by the clicking sound on the ground, the former firefighter looks around once more and looks at the ladder on the wall of the building, with the trash can close by, it can make a nice escape route if it comes to it. There’s no one in the alley and the footsteps are getting closer to the corner to where he agreed to meet this mysterious woman who wired him. He checks his wristwatch and nods, whoever it is, is definitely punctual.

_“Hello, Dax.”_

The voice comes and Dax turns around to be faced with a familiar face.

_“You! I know you.”_

The man says in disbelief and the woman smirks, taking a step closer and looking over her shoulder to make sure she is alone with Dax.

_“You do, as I hope you would because now you know what I am capable of.”_

The woman says and Dax curls his hands into fists with his arms stretched alongside his body.

_“Is that a threat?”_

Dax asks and the woman chuckles, it is a hollow and cold sound that causes a shiver to course down the man's spine that raises his hairs in the back of his neck.

_“We are way past that phase, wouldn't you agree Dax?”_

The woman says putting her hands in the pockets of her long black coat and Dax observes her tall and slender figure adorned with what he calls a fancy long coat.

_“Why did you want to see me?”_

Dax asks and the woman looks at him still with her hands inside the pockets of her coat. For some reason, Dax grows suspicious of this woman and what she can be carrying in her pockets.

_“I thought of asking you personally about what happened today.”_

The woman says nonchalantly and Dax looks at her with a shake of his head.

_“We had everything planned, a hit and run; we had been in the neighborhood for enough time to have a perfect escape. She was right in front of us, but another woman came by out of the blue and pushed her way.”_

_“In other words, you fucked it up again and you lost your partner.”_

_“Look, lady, you told me you didn’t want any loose ends and I took care of that.”_

Dax says rather defensively and the woman sighs as if she was bored. She ruffles one hand in one of her coat’s pockets and Dax looks at her with wide eyes, the woman just smirks and pulls out a brown envelope, holding out her hand to Dax, the man looks at her and she nods at him as he takes the envelope carefully.

_“Are you familiar with that saying that goes something like this: when you want something done you should do it yourself?”_

The woman asks rhetorically and smiles as she waves a hand in the air dismissively.

“ _Well let’s say that I hope you don’t force me to literally do that. This is some encouragement for you.”_

_“Encouragement?”_

_“Yes Dax, I know you’re not as dumb as you look; now I trust you to look into the other targets and not just your own desires. I want that blonde reporter dealt with as much as you do but I have bigger plans. Now remember Dax, I don’t like to get my hands dirty, but if you fuck this up again you won’t leave me any other choice. This is your last chance.”_

The woman says with a dangerous tone dripping into her voice and then turns around to go back to her car. Dax stays glued in his place watching her go, the man is perplexed looking at the elegant figure and he can’t hide the surprise, tremor, and anger boiling inside of him towards this not so mysterious woman who reached out to him. For a couple of minutes, Dax wonders what motives she has to be doing what she is. The woman is definitely more dangerous than he foresaw and if he wants to keep his life he better deliver some results.

**

The car parks outside the 13th station and Lexa looks around from the passenger seat, Raven nods and smiles at Lexa as they step out of the car. The Latina closes the car and hands the keys to Lexa and the green-eyes brunette smirks at her.

_“Are you glad now?”_

Lexa asks and Lexa beams with joy like a kid who just got a new toy.

_“You bet I am. This car is amazing.”_

The Latina says and Lexa smiles at her with fondness. After leaving the hospital Lexa silently offered the keys of her car for Raven to take, the Latina was ecstatic, to say the least; after all, she has been harboring the idea of driving Kenzi again since the first time Lexa was taken to the cabin. Lexa sighs as she thinks back to the first time Clarke mentioned how happy Raven would be if she could ride in Lexa’s car.

_“Yeah, Clarke was the first to tell me you would love Kenzi.”_

Lexa says and Raven looks at her with a nod, the Latina knows she has to have a proper conversation with Clarke after all that has happened; however she doesn’t want to dwell much on it at the moment, and she looks at Lexa with a smirk.

_“You have to drive Pocahontas one of these days.”_

_“Really? I thought you wouldn’t let anyone else drive her.”_

_“Not usually, besides Luna but come on anyone that names their car is worthy of driving Pocahontas.”_

Raven says with a wink and Lexa smiles as they step inside the police station; Plat is the first one to notice their arrival and smiles at them and walks over to Lexa.

_“Lexa, it is nice to have you back.”_

_“Thank you, Sergeant.”_

Lexa says and Olivia Plat surprises her when she leans over and hugs Lexa briefly patting her on the back as Lexa looks at Raven who tries her best to hide her amusement behind her hands.

_“You were missed, I’m sorry I didn’t go to the hospital more often but you know those places give me the creeps.”_

Plat says in a conspiring tone and Lexa nods, to be honest, she was surprised to see Plat there when she woke up, Sergeant Olivia Plat is not known in the station for liking hospitals, and even though she’s always present for anyone who had to be at the hospital, she also is usually the first to leave. The Sergeant then smooths the wrinkles on her button shirt while clearing her throat in her unique way and looks at Lexa and Raven with a serious expression.

_“Chief Indra wants to see you in her office.”_

The woman says and Lexa bows her head once more and then looks at Raven, the Latina smiles and waves goodbye at Lexa as the brunette goes up the stairs to meet her Chief.

**

Indra is reading some paperwork when a soft knock causes her to lift her eyes to the door, Lexa opens the door slightly and Indra motions with one hand for her to enter and take a seat in the chair in front of her. Lexa sits in the chair and grabs a paper from her jacket and places it on Indra’s desk.

_“I’m clear to work, Chief.”_

_“That’s wonderful news, Lexa. Here. I believe this belongs to you.”_

Indra says as she opens one of her desk drawers and pulls Lexa’s gun and badge from it, placing it on the desk and sliding it in Lexa’s direction. The detective frowns slightly and looks at Indra with an inquisitive gaze.

_“What about the early retirement papers, I left them with you; don’t we need to reverse the process or something?”_

Lexa asks and Indra smirks slightly with a shake of her head.

_“You signed them, but I never started the process, that’s why you still have your spot in the Kru alongside with your badge and gun.”_

_“I… I don’t understand.”_

Lexa says somewhat baffled and Indra leans back in her chair and looks seriously at Lexa.

_“Lexa, your exams were all clear, when you initiated the process I decided to talk to Abby and she told me she believed you could walk again, I think everyone but you believed in that. I couldn’t in good conscience let you go ahead with this early retirement when you could walk again. Now, you know that in order to go back to work and considering all the events that led you to be in that wheelchair you have to have some mandatory tests including a session with a psychiatrist.”_

_“Chief, I’m fine, I’m walking and I’m ready to work.”_

Lexa says almost pouting and Indra smiles with a nod and opens Abby’s letter to see what the doctor wrote in there and then looks at Lexa again with a business-like face on.

_“It’s my understanding that you were already having therapy sessions with a doctor assigned by Doctor Griffin. I know every cop hates mandatory exams and especially seeing the shrink, so this is what we’re going to do. I want you to make an appointment with your therapist and have her clear you for duty too.”_

_“Is this really necessary Chief?”_

Lexa asks hoping that her Chief let this one slide and Indra gestures “yes” with her head as she looks seriously at Lexa.

_“I might call you Heda, and see in you the potential my ancestors saw in their leaders but you’re not above the law here Lexa, I’m not doing this because I want to but because it’s the protocol. We already had problems with the Internal Affairs recently, and I don’t want to give them any more reasons to come back.”_

_“I understand.”_

Lexa says as she picks up her badge and her gun from the desk as she looks at Indra and the Chief smiles and starts to get up from her chair.

_“For now you’re going to be working on desk duty while you wait for an appointment with your therapist, the faster you see her, the sooner you can be working fully with us.”_

_“Am I at least working on the case with the rest of the team?”_

Lexa asks as she gets up from her chair and as she places her badge on her belt and Indra looks at her as if the answer was obvious, which for all she knows it is.

_“Of course you are, tell Luna and Anya to brief you on everything. Fox and Raven are working on the case too, and Anya and Echo are just here to help us, I put Luna in charge of the investigation, due to Roan’s and Nia relationship.”_

Indra says and Lexa nods formally as Indra holds out her hand for Lexa to take in a firm handshake.

_“It is really good to have you back Heda.”_

_“Thank you, Chief.”_

Lexa says as she moves towards the door and then looks at Indra with a careful expression.

_“Chief?”_

_“Yes, Lexa.”_

_“How is Roan holding up with everything that has been happening?”_

Lexa asks gently and Indra sighs as she walks over her desk and sits on it looking at Lexa with some apprehension in her eyes.

_“You know Roan, his relationship with his mother has been troubled for some time now, I believe and trust him with the case, but I already told Luna and now I ask you the same thing: keep an eye on him, a target or not Nia is still dangerous and she can use this investigation to her own advantage, and for what I’ve seen of her she won’t think twice to use Roan as leverage.”_

Indra says seriously and Lexa nods as she thinks about her Chief’s words, nothing makes much sense yet, but she is sure that once she has the full picture of the investigation she will be more prepared to handle whatever the case brings in their direction. With one last glance and nod at Indra’s direction, the detective closes the door and makes the familiar path back to the common room of the Intelligence Kru.

**

By the time Clarke and Octavia have their things packed and ready in the living room the sun is already starting to sink below the horizon. The blonde plops down on the couch with a heavy sigh as Octavia joins her with two cups of tea in her hands.

_“So have you decided what you are going to do?”_

Octavia asks as she watches Clarke taking a sip of her tea with a satisfied smile.

_“I was thinking about going to a hotel for tonight and then I’ll think about what to do next?”_

The blonde says and Octavia shakes her head as she places her cup on the coffee table and looks at Clarke with a careful expression.

_“Why don’t you call Lexa and ask her if her offer is still standing?”_

_“O, we’ve talked about this.”_

Clarke says and Octavia nods twice as she looks at Clarke with a serious expression.

_“I know, I know, but Clarke I would feel better if you were staying with someone, and Lexa’s place is way better than any hotel, plus she had a point, it’s closer to Lincoln’s, therefore, making it easy for us to work.”_

The younger Blake says and Clarke sighs as she finishes her tea and gets up from the couch with a tired sigh.

_“I’m going to take a quick shower and think about it okay?”_

Clarke says and Octavia nods as she watches her friend going to her bedroom to get a clean towel and then moves to the bathroom. As soon as Octavia is sure the water is running she picks up the blonde’s phone and scrolls through the contact list in search of a name. As soon as the phone starts ringing it doesn’t take long for the other person to pick up the call and Octavia can’t help but smirk.

_“Clarke? Is everything okay?”_

Lexa asks somewhat surprised and concerned and Octavia shakes her head at the two dumbasses that keep ignoring their feelings for the sake of their pride.

_“It’s not Clarke, it’s Octavia.”_

_“Oh, okay, I’m sorry I thought it was Clarke.”_

Lexa says and Octavia can’t help but face-palm herself at Lexa’s formal tone of voice and antics.

_“Listen, Clarke is taking a shower now but she asked me to call you and tell you she’s accepting your offer; that is if you’re still up to having her at your place.”_

Octavia says as she walks towards the window and peeks outside, the street is calm; people are passing by, enjoying the sunset, and what remains of the warm day.

_“Are you sure?”_

Lexa asks a little dumbfounded because, well, she can’t help but feel surprised and slightly suspicious of the fact that Octavia is the one calling and not Clarke.

_“Of course I’m sure Lexa. Why do you think I’m calling?”_

_“I’m sorry Octavia; it’s not like I am doubting you, but you have to understand that for me it is rather strange that you’re the one calling me and not Clarke.”_

Lexa says somewhat defensively and Octavia shakes her head, Lexa does really know Clarke well, but she had made her mind up and she’s not going to budge now.

_“Look Lexa, you know Clarke is stubborn and proud she didn’t want to be the one calling you and that’s why she asked me to do it. Now, how do you want to do this? Do you want me to take her or…”_

_“I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”_

Lexa says quickly cutting off Octavia’s question and the petite brunette makes a happy dance with a proud smile as she ends the call. The younger Blake knows Clarke won’t be pleased with her but after the events of the day, she doesn’t really care.

**

Luna watches as Lexa places the phone back on her desk with a hopeful smile on her lips.

_“What was that about?”_

Luna asks from her desk in front of Lexa’s and the detective looks up at her.

_“I’m going to pick Clarke up and take her to my place.”_

_“Wow, you didn’t waste any time, you just got back and you’re already getting your girl.”_

Anya says with a smirk as she moves from the board to her desk and Lexa shakes her head as she rises from her chair and puts her leather jacket on.

_“It’s not like that Anya; I just offered my place because we both know Clarke will be safer there.”_

Lexa replies and Anya nods, everyone is about to get ready to go home and so the FBI agent gathers her things too.

_“Are you going to tell her everything we know about the case?”_

Anya asks as she puts her phone in the pocket of her jeans and Lexa looks at Luna, since the curly-haired detective is in charge of the investigation Lexa wants to be sure what is okay to tell Clarke and what is not. Luna nods as she places her things in her backpack and sighs.

“She already knows a few things, and she can help us, you can tell her everything we know.”

The curly-haired detective says and Lexa nods as she grabs a file and they both start walking out of the room and out of the building. As she walks over to her car Lexa can’t help but think about everything that has happened not only during the day or when Anya called her but everything that has happened since she was shot. Will it be awkward to be sharing the same space with Clarke again? Will they be able to see past what happened in order to work together in this new case? Whatever happens, Lexa is sure of one thing: she saved Clarke once and she will do it again no matter what.

**

Clarke is still in her bedroom getting dressed and thinking if she should call Lexa or not when the doorbell rings, the blonde frowns slightly still clearly not over the events that took place earlier but Octavia shouts from the living room to tell her she's going to open the door. After an incredibly long shower, the reporter feels a little revived but her mind is still working out options about what to. Clarke picks up a comfortable hoodie to wear and hears Octavia’s voice in the living room and assuming it is Lincoln outside she smiles and decides to go and greet him.

_“Lexa? What are you doing here?”_

Clarke asks when she walks into the living room and spots Lexa, not hiding the surprise in her face and Lexa narrows her eyes at Octavia, the younger Blake shrugs her shoulders and walks over to Clarke placing both hands on her shoulders and looks intently at her.

_“Listen, you're going with Lexa and that's not up for discussion.”_

_“Octavia.”_

Clarke whines at Octavia’s stern tone of voice but the brunette reporter shakes her head and looks at Clarke and Lexa.

_“You two have a lot to talk about, and either you want to or not you are going to do it. I don't care how you sort your shit out, either if it's through rough sex all night or talking like regular adults but you're doing this and this is the end of this conversation. Now, Lincoln is on his way here so I'm just going to take a quick shower and I don’t want to see either of you here when I come back.”_

Octavia says and Clarke looks baffled, the blonde can’t help but mutter under her breath that Octavia is turning into Raven, the blonde casts a quick look at Lexa and notices the small blush on the detective’s pretty features. At Octavia’s commanding tone Clarke can't do much more than sigh and nod at Lexa who was glued to her spot unsure of what to do.

If Clarke has, to be honest, she is quite relieved that she is staying with Lexa and that she doesn't have to think more about the subject. The blonde reporter walks over to where her duffel bag is, and Lexa being the gentlewoman she is, picks it up easily and follows Clarke to the outside of the building.

Once outside Clarke looks at Lexa as the detective walks carefully beside her, the silences between them never bothered Clarke, but somehow even if Lexa looks peacefully content walking by Clarke's side, this time the silence feels somewhat suffocating.

_“I'm really sorry for Octavia.”_

Clarke says just for the sake of saying something and Lexa blushes slightly, probably thinking about the petite brunette’s words.

_“It's okay; she's just looking out for you.”_

Lexa says calmly as she opens the passenger door for Clarke and as the blonde gets inside the car she is welcomed with the scent of leather from the seats and the unmistakable perfume of Lexa. After the long day she had, to be inside Lexa's car brings Clarke a sense of comfort she hasn't felt in a long time. Lexa rounds the car and puts Clarke's bag in the trunk of the car and then gets into the driver seat. The car ride starts with both women in silence, the only sounds are the roar of the engine and the radio station.

_“I want to thank you for doing this.”_

Clarke says after a few minutes in silence as she notices Lexa looking at the rearview mirror again.

_“It is the least that I can do Clarke.”_

Lexa says and once again the blonde feels butterflies at hearing her name rolling off from Lexa's mouth so effortlessly gently. The brunette takes a turn and Clarke looks at her with narrowed eyes.

_“Uh? Lexa, I think you should have taken the left turn back there.”_

Clarke says noticing the detective is taking a detour through the town and Lexa nods with a shrug of her shoulders.

_“I know; I'm just making sure we're not being followed.”_

Lexa says calmly and Clarke turns in her seat to look through the back window of the car.

_“Did you see something?”_

Clarke asks, still looking at the back window and her voice sounds somewhat scared and concerned. Lexa acting on instinct places one hand on Clarke's thigh squeezing it slightly as the blonde looks at her eyeing from Lexa's face to her outstretched arm and finally to Lexa's hand on her body.

_“I'm just being cautious, there's no one following us.”_

The detective says noticing Clarke's eyes still looking at her hand, the detective moves her hand from Clarke's thigh as quickly as she can, feeling ashamed of the liberty she just took but Clarke just smiles noticing the slight tinge of pink in Lexa's cheeks, the blonde can’t help but trail her fingers over the spot where Lexa's hand was, it almost feels like is burning and unleashing something inside the blonde's chest that she can't really be thinking of at the moment.

_“Are you back at work?”_

Clarke asks then to take her mind off the feelings Lexa causes her to feel. The brunette can't help but smile broadly at the question, not because of the question itself but because of the answer to it.

_“I am, I actually thought it would be harder to get back to work, I asked for an early retirement based on my incapacity but it turns out Chief Indra never started the process.”_

Lexa says and Clarke smiles at the genuine happiness she can hear in Lexa's voice. The rest of the ride to Lexa's apartment is made in silence and if Lexa can't stop the small hopeful smile for having Clarke with her, the blonde can't help but steal glances at the detective.

When Lexa opens the door of her apartment for Clarke the blonde is reminded of all the time she has spent in Lexa's house. More than 3 months have passed since she was last here but the sense of familiarity is still there. Lexa's house smells like apples and cinnamon, a reminder of how the brunette loves to spread scented candles around the living room to decorate the place.

_“I'll change the bedsheets for you.”_

Lexa says carefully after closing the door and Clarke looks at her with a shake of her head.

_“There's no need. I'll take the couch.”_

The blonde says and Lexa looks at her but still carries her duffel bag towards her bedroom. Clarke follows her silently; she knows Lexa won’t let her sleep in anything but the bed. As Lexa places the bag on the floor at the foot of the bed Clarke looks at her with a concerned expression.

_“You'll take the bed and that's not up for discussion.”_

_“Lexa, it's your house, I can perfectly sleep on the couch, besides you have to rest properly.”_

The blonde insists and silence falls upon them as Clarke notices a slight shift in the atmosphere between them. The comfortable silence they had fallen into the car has now changed to a sort of uncomfortable shyness. By the wat they are both of them acting almost feel as if they haven't shared the same bed before and as if they have lost their intimacy.

Clarke looks at the bed neatly made and then her gaze falls on Lexa who is pulling a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from a drawer. The blonde frowns slightly and then sighs.

_“When did you get back?”_

Clarke asks curiously and tries to break the awkward silence and Lexa looks bashfully at her.

“Yesterday.”

The detective says and Clarke's eyes open wide as her mind races trying to process this new information. One question keeps popping up in Clarke's mind: what propelled Lexa to walk again? However when the detective moves in the room in order to start changing the bedsheets Clarke moves to stop her.

_“You don't have to do that, please.”_

Clarke says in an almost pleading tone and something flashes across in the blonde's eyes because Lexa shares a small smile with a soft nod. Lexa then tells Clarke to use whatever she needs from the room and even offers Clarke some space in her closet. The blonde thanks her and places a few coats there. After a few minutes Clarke has unpacked the most important things she will need and Lexa comes back to the room to check on her. There’s this weird dynamic between them but the detective smiles at Clarke with a glint in her eyes.

_“I have something for you.”_

Lexa says softly and Clarke looks at her as the detective walks to the living room again and Clarke follows her with a curious expression. She has no idea what Lexa has in mind but she watches as the brunette picks a large blue box from a shelf and hands it over for Clarke to take. The blonde holds the box with inquisitive eyes inspecting it carefully and when Lexa nods once, the blonde opens it up and gasps.

_“How? When did you get this?”_

The blonde says as she carefully takes the watch from inside the box and slowly runs her fingers over it. The blonde is still in awe when she turns the watch around and sees the infinity symbol on it with the initials of her father's name on it. The watch looks brand new with a new nylon strap in dark blue just like the older one and the glass shines as new, Clarke looks at it and sees that it has no scratches; which indicate that the glass is indeed new.

_“At the hospital I noticed you didn't have it. I asked Luna to look into it and she found it in the evidence log, when she brought it up to me it was in bad shape, it must have fallen because the glass was broken, I took it to an antique shop and had it restored for you. I know how much this watch means to you.”_

_“Omg, Lex this is… Thank you.”_

The blonde says genuinely and without thinking she hugs Lexa fearlessly and takes Lexa by surprise. After so long, Clarke's affectionate hug feels like returning home and Lexa tentatively places her arms around the blonde as she feels Clarke cry into her shoulder. Neither of them is sure of how long they stood like that, with Clarke crying on Lexa's shoulder as the detective tried to soothe her by rubbing circles in the blonde's back. Eventually the blonde tenses slightly and takes a step back as she looks at her feet.

_“I'm sorry.”_

Clarke says not quite able to meet Lexa's eyes and the detective sighs.

_“You don't have to apologize; it has been a long day. Why don’t you rest a little and I'll take a quick shower so I can make something for us to eat.”_

Lexa says softly and Clarke looks up to see Lexa turning the TV on and then moving towards the bathroom. The blonde reporter can imagine that the day was as exhausting for Lexa as it was for herself. Wanting to help Lexa somehow the blonde walks over to the kitchen and opens the fridge, looking at its contents Clarke smiles surprised at the fact that Lexa has some different things in there; the blonde finds chicken and other ingredients and decides to make dinner for them. After all, that happened Clarke feels that she should help somehow.

A while later Lexa is joining Clarke in the kitchen to find the blonde setting the table for the two of them.

_“I took the liberty of making dinner. I hope you don't mind.”_

The blonde says gently and Lexa smiles as she pulls her long damp hair over her right shoulder and finishes setting the table while Clarke finishes the dinner.

In silence, both women try the food, and Clarke smiles at Lexa's moan of approval. They don’t really talk and although there’s a lot to talk about neither of them wants to spoil the moment. To suddenly be together at Lexa’s apartment sharing a meal in silence like before but not quite provides both of them time to think and evaluate their relationship, it is a weird dynamic, that much is clear in the way they interact with each other. And yet it feels nice to have such an introspective moment together, amidst the chaos of the day Clarke and Lexa find solace in each other’s company and even though they are both hurt this feels like a small step in the right direction.

_“We should talk.”_

Clarke says when she finishes her meal and Lexa looks at her while taking a sip of her water.

_“We do, there’s some information about the case that I want to talk to you about.”_

Lexa says as she rises from her chair and Clarke looks at her as if to ask her what she is doing. Lexa picks up the plates and places them in the sink and Clarke follows her with the empty glasses. The way they move together still holds the same domestic feeling of the times before and while Lexa washes the dishes Clarke dries them and puts them back in the cabinets.

With both women cleaning the kitchen it doesn’t take them long to be finished and Lexa decides to make tea for both of them as soon as Lexa takes a place on the couch she pulls one file and opens it up to show it to Clarke. The blonde looks at the photo and then looks at Lexa.

_“That’s…”_

_“The guy who was killed this morning; it's Richard Thompson.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what are your thoughts about this?  
> As usual kudos, hits and comments are always appreciated.


	8. Dinner and apologies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back guys! :D  
> I hope you are all well and staying safe.  
> 2020 has a twisted and crazy plot planned for us, but I hope we all do our part to make the best out of it.  
> Once more your response to the latest chapter was quite incredible and made my heart feel proud of what I with my friend's Jo help are accomplishing here. Please keep your love for this story coming! And a big thanks to all of you that keep Lexa alive in your hearts!  
> I think most of you will like this chapter and I'm looking forward for your feedback! :)  
> Happy reading folks , enjoy it and stay well!!! :)

**Chapter 8 – Dinner and apologies**

The sun is bright and warm and Clarke can't help but gaze through the window to see the people passing by immersed in their own lives. She twirls a lock of hair absently in her hand thinking about the last few days. After her first conversation with Lexa about the case, things haven't progressed as much as she would like. With Richard Thompson dead, the reason why Dax is targeting Nia is still a mystery and even though nothing else happened in the meantime the Kru knows it won't last long until the man strikes again and Clarke fears the same too.

Clarke's stay in Lexa's apartment has been peaceful but they haven't talked or even seen each other very much. The detective has been the first to arrive at the station and most often than not the last one to leave. And although it almost feels like the detective is avoiding Clarke, the blonde knows in her core that Lexa's priority is Clarke's safety and therefore cracking open the case is also Lexa’s priority.

The blonde looks at her wristwatch and smiles softly, she never thought she would have it again, but Lexa once more managed to surprise her, Clarke is not sure if she ever will be able to thank Lexa properly for this act of kindness and affection. The blonde doesn't expect people to understand, but having the watch with her feels like having a piece of her father with her at all times. In order to do what she could for Lexa as thanks the blonde has been taking care of Lexa's house as if it was hers, the blonde has been cooking when she knows Lexa will be home, and making the beds.

To the blonde's surprise, Lexa's couch can be easily turned into a bed and Clarke makes sure to have it ready for Lexa when she comes home. The detective remains gentle towards Clarke and the blonde has noticed that Lexa is giving her space. Lexa usually wakes up early and Clarke knows she has been going to the gym or on short runs.

Slowly the blonde is adjusting to this new normal in her life but she knows she still needs to right her wrongs. The conversation with Niylah from days ago was only the first small step in the right direction. And even if everything seems to be confusing and out of place now, the blonde knows in her heart that Octavia’s words from days ago were accurate. And so Clarke finds herself in a small restaurant waiting for Bellamy and Raven and she doesn't have to wait any longer for her friends as they open the door and step inside the restaurant between laughter that Clarke can only assume is the result of Raven’s banter.

The Latina is the first one to notice Clarke sitting near the window and smiles at her. Both friends come closer and as Bellamy places his duffel bag on the floor at the feet of the chair, Raven takes off her jacket and looks at Clarke quizzically.

_“To what do we own the honor of this impromptu lunch?”_

Bellamy asks as he takes one chair and Raven looks at Clarke somewhat defiantly.

_“I hope that you're the one paying for it since you were the one inviting us.”_

The Latina says sarcastically and Clarke shakes her head.

_“Since you're asking so nicely how can I refuse?”_

The blonde says and Raven shrugs as Bellamy looks between the two of them, the last time they were like this sat at one table things went terribly wrong and the rookie can only hope that this time things go better.

Although the restaurant isn't a fancy one, Clarke purposely picked one that didn't serve fast food. The space is not big but it's slowly getting crowded and Clarke watches as the two waiters, a man and a woman delegate tasks and not long after the waitress is by Clarke's table asking for their orders.

As they wait for the food to arrive Raven looks at Clarke curiously as the blonde looks distractedly through the window.

_“So how's your stay with Lexa going? You're taking good care of hotshot right?”_

The Latina asks with a mix of curiosity and banter and Clarke sighs as she trails her fingertips over the wristwatch while thinking back to Lexa's soft and caring gesture of handling the box with the watch for Clarke to take and her careful explanation of what she did to get it back. Clarke still remembers Lexa's scent and although that happens because the blonde made a point of sleeping in Lexa's sheets the first two nights just to feel closer to her, it's also because Clarke can't forget the tight and soft embrace they shared that day. And even though they haven't done it since, or really talked for that matter the blonde is longing for the brunette’s touch.

_“It's going okay I think.”_

Clarke finally says after a long exhale and Bellamy looks at Raven as if sensing that the Latina has more questions about it, the oldest of the Blake siblings elbows Raven subtly and the Latina bites her own lip before she starts teasing Clarke about the situation that she finds herself in with Lexa.

_“So…”_

Clarke starts clearing her throat and Raven and Bellamy look at her.

_“The reason why I called you here is to apologize. Although I'm still a bit mad at both of you for hiding Lexa's whereabouts from me, I know you two had your reasons for it.”_

The blonde says and Bellamy sighs, smiling sympathetically at her.

_“We never meant to hurt you, but Lexa made us both promise to keep it a secret. I know that ultimately we could have just decided to tell you where she was anyway but we never thought Lexa’s stay at the cabin would last so long and or that it would end up as it did.”_

Bellamy says and Clarke nods as Raven looks at both of them with a sigh.

_“It was a shit show, all of this, but we tried our best for Lexa's sake. We never meant to betray you, however…”_

The Latina says trailing off at the same time the waitress comes to place their drinks in front of them and to let them know their food is about to be served, and Clarke looks at Raven expectantly and the Latina takes a sip of her water and looks curiously at Clarke.

_“I have to ask: why didn't you try to find Lexa? You ambushed us, but before that, we never told you anything but you never asked either!”_

Raven says and Bellamy looks at Clarke afraid that the question might bring tension to the, until now, quiet lunch. Clarke sighs, she mimics Raven’s previous actions and pours some water into her glass and then takes a small sip. She isn't surprised at the question, in fact, she actually expected Raven to be blunter in her approach, but even if Raven was careful with her question the blonde knows where she is trying to go: Niylah.

_“I know I lashed out at you the other day. But you were right, I didn't search for her. Lexa told me we were a mistake, and that hurt, I mean it still stings. But I think that the truth is that I was a coward. I knew Lexa wasn't walking, that much was clear from what I saw at the hospital. And I was the one who put her there, Cage might have been the one pulling the trigger but I'm guilty nonetheless. When she told me that we were a mistake, it was just easier to hate her and let her go than to face her knowing she couldn't walk because of me.”_

Clarke says brokenly and Raven shares a knowing look with Bellamy. The Latina shakes her head slightly but looks at Clarke; however, before she can say a word Bellamy is letting out an exasperated groan.

_“I don't know if you know this, but Lexa never thought that, she didn't push you away because she thought you had any guilt about what happened. She didn't want to be a burden to anyone, especially you.”_

Bellamy says with frustration dripping in his voice and Raven nods along to his words with a sigh as she looks gently at Clarke.

_“When she found out about you and Niylah, she was heartbroken Clarke, she kept repeating that she wanted you to move on but that's a lie and we all know it.”_

The Latina says as the waitress comes back with their meals and frowns slightly at the sad faces, but Clarke smiles at her in thanks and the woman smiles back and leaves. The blonde ducks her head slowly inspecting the food on her plate and Raven watches her, as the Latina tries her first bite she shakes her head with a slight chuckle causing Bellamy and Clarke to look at her.

_“You two are the most useless lesbians I know, I swear people should be putting videos of you two on YouTube.”_

The Latina says breaking the tense silence that was falling over them and Clarke looks at her with a frown.

_“Well, I'm bi.”_

The blonde counters back as she tries to get back on track and Raven laughs as she thinks about her lab partner.

_“Yeah, yeah, as Fox would say 75 percent gay and only the rest is straight. In any case, I think you should be explaining this to Lexa, not us. I mean, I'm glad we're finally talking properly but Lexa deserves to hear this too. And yet the other day you told her that it was over. Why?”_

Raven’s words are soft and calm and her question pulls a heavy sigh from the blonde. As Clarke takes a sip of her water Bellamy looks expectantly at her, waiting for his friend’s answer.

_“Because I can't have her back now, not after all that I did, I put her in that wheelchair and now I have a target on my back, I can't put Lexa and her recent recovery in danger.”_

The blonde explains sadly and Bellamy groans at her with some exasperation, he pauses with his fork mid-air and Clarke looks at him quizzically.

_“Okay, it's not my place to tell you how to live your life or tell Lexa how to live hers. But for the love of God, you two are being impossible. You need to sit down and talk as two grown-up people would. We all know that even if you try to cast Lexa away she won't go. I mean look at her, she is willing to risk her life for her work, and I mean that is part of what her work entails that’s just who she is.”_

Bellamy says putting some emphasis on Lexa's work to prove his point that no matter what Clarke says or does Lexa will always be Lexa and therefore a police officer. The blonde opens up her mouth to speak but then closes it unsure of what to say, Raven looks at Bellamy nodding along to his words as she places her fork down.

_“You should talk to her; I mean you're literally living with her now. You can't tell us that you don't have the chance to do so. I think it's time for both of you to be honest with each other.”_

Raven says softly and Clarke looks at her with a nod that turns into a teasing smile.

_“Look at you so grown up Raven. Luna made a responsible woman of you, I'm so proud of you.”_

The blonde says and as Raven snorts and throws a napkin at the blonde, Bellamy can't help but laugh at them. They continue their meal with easy talk, slowly but surely the tension Clarke has been feeling in the last few weeks fades away slightly and the blonde can't help but feel hopeful for what is coming next.

**

The detective knocks softly on the door and doesn't wait too long for the door to be open revealing a smiling brunette on the other side.

_“Lexa! What a marvelous pleasure it is to see you here and walking nonetheless. I was surprised when you called me to make this appointment, I'm sorry I couldn't schedule it sooner; I was at a convention out of town. But please come in and sit down on the couch, you know the drill.”_

The woman says and Lexa takes a step further into the office as she takes in the woman's outfit for the day. As usual, the woman with dark brown hair is wearing her perfect makeup, the eyeliner giving depth to her brown eyes and her red lipstick gives her a bold image, with her hair in a fancy bun and there is not a single strand out of the neatly pushed back ponytail. Despite her serious face, Becca is pleasant and casual and if her style in clothes alternates between loose dresses and more formal slacks, her shoes are always comfortable and Lexa has noticed that the woman has a thing for wearing sneakers. Overall the woman always looked professional but also she gives off the idea that she doesn't take herself too seriously and despite Lexa's previous reservations about therapy, she was pleasantly surprised with Becca’s casual posture and demeanor.

As Lexa takes a seat on the comfortable couch she glances around, Becca always made her sit down there even when she was in the wheelchair. The detective never understood why and was quite frankly more often than not frustrated with the therapist, oblivious to the fact that Becca did that to evaluate not only Lexa's current mood but also her general emotional state.

_“Alright let's start then.”_

Becca says as she picks up her notebook and takes a seat on the other lounge couch and Lexa sighs as she watches the woman cross her legs and look at her.

_“I'm sorry to schedule this appointment at such short notice, I'm back at work, and since a mandatory review on my mental health is needed I thought it would be better to do it with you than with someone else.”_

_“I see. I'm glad you called. I actually prefer it to be me assessing you that someone else who doesn't know you. I assume you'll need me to send my report to your Chief?”_

Becca asks, as she watches Lexa's reactions and the detective smiles, it's just a small curve of her lips but she knows Becca saw it, the psychiatrist always does.

_“Yeah, Chief Indra, I emailed you the information you need.”_

_“Perfect then. Shall we start? I know what you need from me, but I want to start with the most important and obvious question: how did you start walking again?”_

Becca asks as Lexa leans back on the couch and closes her eyes for a moment to take a deep breath. Exhaling through her mouth the detective opens her eyes and takes in the decoration in Becca’s office. It hasn't changed since the last time she was there, it hasn’t been redecorated in the last few years, Lexa assumes. The large window behind the therapist’s desk provides natural light around the whole space, the minimalist decoration is composed of a simple small shelf with medical books, and the office is large to accommodate the big dark wooden desk with Becca’s comfortable leather chair and two smaller ones at the other side of the desk. There are three couches, two smaller ones and one larger taking up space near one of the walls. On the walls, a few small and medium canvases paintings of the sea, forests, and night blue skies and Lexa knows they are meant to provide calm to Becca’s patients but she also knows the psychiatrist painted them all herself. Lexa has a suspicion that it's probably a hobby that the doctor has.

Mulling over the therapist’s question Lexa looks over at Becca who is looking expectantly at her to start, the detective looks at her hands and then at Becca again.

_“I'm not sure what happened, but it started with a call I got a few days ago.”_

_“A phone call? Interesting. What was the phone call about?”_

Becca probes slightly, and she is curious about the new information and Lexa looks at her taking notice that the woman is already scribbling down some notes.

_“I have a friend in the FBI, her name is Anya, she is working with my team, I can't really give you the details about the case but she called me to tell me that my girl…”_

Lexa stops herself mid-sentence and frowns slightly.

_“...my ex-girlfriend…”_

Lexa says and stops herself again at the sour taste that the words leave in her mouth, almost leaving her tongue-tied. Becca as usual waits for Lexa to find the right words, and this is another thing that made Lexa keep up with her therapy sessions, Becca is always respectful of Lexa’s timing and even if she pokes and probes information in every session she always does it as if it was a casual conversation. Lexa gulps down as she looks at her hands.

_“Anya called me to tell me that Clarke was being targeted.”_

_“And how did that make you feel?”_

The therapist asks in a soft and slow tone of voice and Lexa closes her eyes with a sigh.

_“Uneasy, as if a heavy feeling of uneasiness had been put in my chest.”_

_**One week ago**_

_“Stop being a dumbass and get your legs to fucking moving again.”_

_As soon as the call ends Lexa feels her head spinning, Clarke is in danger and there is nothing she can do about it while she is in that damned wheelchair. The brunette doesn't even grasp the full circumstances of what is happening. All she can think of is Anya’s words, Clarke is in danger and that has nothing to do with Lexa's work or personal life but Clarke's own life._

_It's already dark outside and the fireplace in the cabin is, as usual, providing some warm comfort for Lexa's solitude. Lexa isn't sure of many things in her new life, but she is damn sure of one: she needs to know what the hell is happening in Boston and to do so she needs to get back to the city. Feeling a sudden urge to do something, the former detective moves on the couch eyeing the wheelchair with some disdain._

_The brunette pushes herself to the edge of the couch and grabs one of the wheelchair handles as her other hand grips the couch tightly._

_“You can do this.”_

_The green-eyed woman mutters to herself and soon after she lifts her body supporting her weight with her arms that had grown stronger since she stopped moving her legs. With a grunt, Lexa tries to steady herself. Precariously, the brunette lets go of the couch and just holds onto the wheelchair. She has done this before, but not alone and not with a wheelchair, instead, she had a sort of platform Niylah uses and the physical therapist was right by her side._

_Even if the night brings a cold breeze and the fireplace hasn't been on for long Lexa can already feel the drops of salty sweat rolling down her face. With wobbly legs and grunting with the effort, the brunette takes a perilous step further. Lexa feels her muscles pulling and she groans at the struggle, she pushes the wheelchair a bit further away so she has space to take small steps and manages to take two more._

_After three steps Lexa looks down at herself as her legs start to cave in, and before she can react the wheelchair slides away from her causing her to lose her balance and fall on the floor. The detective grunts in pain as her back hits the couch as she tries to absorb the fall with her arms._

_Frustrated and with her pride a little wounded the former detective sits on the floor leaning her back on the couch and takes off her slippers. A crease in her brow forms as she narrows her eyes at her toes trying to see the movement her brain is commanding. There's a tiny movement and the broody brunette expels a long shaking exhale through her lips._

_Feeling the exhaustion creeping up on her Lexa decides to pull the wheelchair in her direction and call it a night._

_**_

_Morning comes early for the former detective; the skies are still dark blue outside and Lexa can hear the ruffling sound of the wind bustling and playing with the pine trees, eucalypts and the other trees in the forest, along with the chirping sound of the early birds singing outside. A feeling of uneasiness looms over her as she thinks of how nice it would be to be able to go back out there and run along the paths like she used to._

_Memories of the previous night come to her mind as she blinks her eyes with her long lashes dusting off her cheeks. Heaving a long sigh Lexa moves in the bed and decides to start her day. She sits in the bed and moves to the edge of it placing her bare feet on the wooden floor feeling cold creeping over her feet. At first, it almost feels like a foreign sensation and Lexa looks down at her feet with a furrow to her brows, startled by the sudden cold she tries to move her feet toes. A soft small smile graces her features as she manages a slight movement._

_Deciding to risk it a bit she tries to stand and even if it feels harder than used too she manages to get up from the bed and stands still waiting on her legs to cave under her weight when that doesn’t happen, she tentatively takes a small step further forward and then another, and another until she is close to the furniture. She leans on the wooden surface and sighs._

_Her team needs her, Clarke needs her and more importantly, Lexa needs to do this. Niylah always said that Lexa was holding back on her recovery but the brunette was too broken to see the reasoning in the therapist’s words. Now she is all alone at her cabin, with a turmoil of emotions weighing down on her; she decides that she needs to be bolder and take more risks. Silently she places herself close to the walls to be able to support her weight if needed and tries to walk around the room._

_Not sure of what to do and afraid that this small improvement won’t last long Lexa walks slowly around her room on wobbly legs and then sits back down on her bed again and decides to call the one person she thinks it might have some answers and will be able to help her._

_The morning is almost over when Lexa hears the soft knock on the door and she gets up from the couch with some effort and slowly walks to the door and opens it._

_“Thank you for coming at such short notice.”_

_Lexa says politely as she steps aside to let her guest inside._

_“Of course, you don’t have to thank me, but I was surprised to receive your call, I didn’t believe it, but, wow, here you are walking again.”_

_“I still feel slightly wobbly though Niylah, that’s why I called you.”_

_Lexa says and Niylah smiles and steps inside placing her equipment on the floor._

_“Well, I’m glad you did.”_

_The therapist says as she looks around and spots the table with two plates set on it and a bowl with food accompanied by a jug of orange juice._

_“Is someone else here?”_

_The blonde asks carefully and Lexa shakes her head with a small smile._

_“No, I realized that since you said you would be on your way right after my call, you would get here around lunchtime. I suspected you hadn’t had time to eat a proper meal so I decided to make some food for both of us.”_

_At Lexa’s words, Niylah can’t hide the surprise from her face, admittedly she never thought Lexa was rude, but she never saw this careful side of her either._

_“That’s very thoughtful, thank you, I’m actually starving.”_

_Niylah says with a chuckle and Lexa smiles as she moves slowly towards the table and Niylah watches the slow pace and the effort the former detective puts into every step. When they are both at the table Lexa looks slightly uncomfortable as she waits for Niylah to help herself to the food. Granted their relationship has always been shaky, mainly because Lexa couldn’t hide the jealousy she felt towards the other woman, but even so the physical therapist always treated Lexa with respect and professionalism, maybe even more than she should be considering that Lexa wasn’t always the easiest person to work with._

_They eat in silence for a few minutes, despite the fact that Lexa only made a chicken salad; Niylah eats with pleasure and even compliments the brunette for her cooking skills saying that the chicken is really tasty. It’s only when Niylah is serving herself a second portion that she looks at Lexa carefully._

_“Can I ask what happened? How did you manage to walk again?”_

_Lexa looks at her through the rim of her glass as she takes a sip of her juice and shrugs slightly._

_“Someone told me my help is needed at the station and I think… I mean I tried yesterday but I failed… I don’t know, this morning I woke up missing my old routine, usually, when I come here I go on hikes and runs through the forest, and I’ve been here for months and didn’t even go outside to enjoy the sun. I’m walking but I’m not sure if this will last, I mean I fear that my body, or rather my legs might collapse at any time.”_

_Lexa explains and Niylah listens to her attentively, she places her fork down as she takes a sip of orange juice to help the food down and then uses a napkin as Lexa looks at her expectantly._

_“You know, I’m sure doctor Becca will explain more about why you were holding back on your recovery, but you knew since the start that physically you didn’t have any severe injury.”_

_“I couldn’t feel my legs Niylah.”_

_Lexa replies a bit harsher than she intended and winces slightly at the little frown on Niylah’s features but the physical therapist sighs and nods smiling sympathetically at her patient’s frustration._

_“I know, but you know our brains are complex machines, they dictate much of our recoveries. I have seen people recovering from terrible injuries because they believed they could and I have also seen people resign themselves to their new reality and never recover even a small part of the mobility that they could.”_

_“So you’re saying it was all in my mind?”_

_Lexa asks skeptically and Niylah shrugs with a smile._

_“I don’t think that’s my expertise, but I can tell you that I’m really glad to see you up on your feet and walking even if you think it’s not much, let me assure you that what you’re doing is remarkable. You might experience fatigue in the next few days, even some dizziness, your body will probably feel sore as if you went to the gym or ran a marathon, but those are expected effects. Most of the work we did was to keep your muscles flexible and more or less strong to tackle the walking part. But you’ll have to go easy and keep pushing, your legs will feel jittery and when you feel like that, don’t be scared. Take a few moments to rest and then keep trying again.”_

_Niylah explains calmly and gently and Lexa nods as she thinks over all the advice the woman is giving her. More or less assuaged, the former detective is thankful for Niylah’s presence and words. They eat the rest of the meal in silence and Niylah is surprised when Lexa tells her about the dessert, chocolate mousse that she had made herself in the morning. The former detective needed something to help her pass the time and cooking something seemed a perfect way to do it._

_After the meal, Niylah insists that she do the dishes and despite Lexa’s grunt of frustration she takes the blonde’s advice of taking some time to rest on the couch. Tired from the effort made during the morning Lexa dozes off on the couch and Niylah watches amused and surprised, she never felt so at ease with Lexa, and looking at Lexa’s sleeping figure she can’t help but to see why the blonde reporter fell for the broody brunette, thinking about Clarke leads Niylah to ponder on how she would react to the news. Niylah is not sure if she should bring the blonde up but when the dishes are done and placed on the rack to dry and she busies herself getting some of the equipment ready that she will need to work with Lexa she decides that she will bring up the blonde’s name later._

_On some level, the physical therapist feels like she needs to apologize to Lexa, although she is not sure why, Lexa made her life really hard at the beginning and whenever the blonde’s name would come up she would close off and cut the physical sessions short more often than not and yet Niylah knows she had a part to play in it all._

_Almost two hours later, Lexa and Niylah are going over some physical exercises that the brunette should do in order to make sure she regains her full strength and balance while standing. Niylah looks proudly at Lexa as she wipes her sweaty forehead in a towel._

_“You know, what you just did is quite impressive.”_

_Niylah tells the former detective and the brunette shrugs slightly as she tries to catch her breath._

_“It’s just a few exercises.”_

_“It may seem unimportant to you, especially considering how active you were before but trust me this is very important, you did the most difficult phase by yourself this morning, you trusted your instincts and tried to walk. You’re finding your balance again in order to stand and although as I told you before you might experience some wobbliness when you stand these workouts help you overcome it. You should do it at least for a few minutes in the mornings.”_

_“Thank you, I will.”_

_Lexa says as she takes a seat at the couch and watches Niylah start packing her things neatly in her bag. It doesn’t take long for Niylah to have her things ready to go and she looks with some uncertainty at Lexa._

_“Look, Lexa, I know you don’t want me to say anything about this, but I want to apologize.”_

_“What for?”_

_Lexa asks suspiciously and Niylah takes the spot next to Lexa on the couch with a sigh and she looks at the former detective in the eyes._

_“Clarke and I….”_

_“Niylah!”_

_Lexa warns her sternly and the physical therapist shakes her head with resolution in her brown gaze that Lexa has never seen before._

_“No, let me finish, I know we’re not friends, and we will probably never be but I want you to know that if I had known before of your story with Clarke I would have never pursued her. By the time I realized what you were to each other it was already too late.”_

_“Clarke was a free person to do as she liked.”_

_Lexa says in a somewhat detached tone but even Niylah can see the hurt and jealousy in her green eyes._

_“You’re both too similar in your stubbornness to see it, but she never moved on, despite whatever you told her, and I really think that now that you’re finally recovering you two should sit down and deal with your pain and anger towards each other.”_

_Niylah says at the same time she gets up from the couch and grabs the bag and Lexa moves to get up to and walk Niylah to the door, despite Niylah’s arguments Lexa does stand and walks her over to the door opening it up for Niylah to step outside. The blonde does so and before the woman leaves she looks at Lexa with a gentle expression._

_“If you need anything at all, all you have to do is call me.”_

_The blonde says and Lexa nods as she watches Niylah walk over to her car and get inside, unable to stop herself Lexa takes a few steps outside the cabin and takes a deep breath relinquishing in the fresh air of the forest, the faint perfume of blossoming flowers and trees reaches her nostrils and Lexa closes her eyes as they prickle with unshed tears. The brunette sniffles with a chuckle, crying in relief over the fact that she’s able to walk again._

_She decides to walk back inside and take a nice long shower, for the first time in months without the plastic chair she always used and the hot water dissolves some of the tension in her muscles and soul. As the morning fades to noon and past it Lexa feels the tiredness creeping over her but she makes a mental note that the next day she will go for a short walk around the cabin to fully enjoy the forest around her and test herself._

**Present moment**

With the sunlight illuminating the office, Lexa ends her narration about the previous days before getting back to Boston and then grabs a bottle of water to take a sip of the bottle that the therapist had placed on the coffee table in the center of the couches. Becca remains calm and attentive taking note of every detail in Lexa's words and body language.

_“You felt unease and concern before you came here. It wasn't a very long process for you to walk again and I'm glad for that. But how do you feel now?”_

Becca asks gently and Lexa opens her eyes to look at her, her green eyes travel from Becca’s face to the notebook on her lap, noticing the several lines with annotations the therapist has written while she was talking. It's a weird thing, to have someone writing details about her life and emotions, and Lexa would feel the need to shut up and bolt from the room if Becca didn't manage to make her talk so easily about herself. Maybe it is the woman's office and gentle ways around Lexa or maybe is the fact that Becca coaxed Lexa earlier on in their sessions that it was better to talk about emotions than bottle them up. It's not easy but the detective is now able to see that emotions are not the weakness she thought them to be.

_“I still feel like I can wake up tomorrow and be back in that wheelchair. But Niylah assured me that I'm doing a good job.”_

Lexa says and Becca smiles at the progress the woman has made so far.

_“The complex of emotions you've been experiencing is completely normal. Now I want to try and work out the reasons why you held back your recovery and what propelled you to walk again.”_

The psychiatrist says as she leans forward almost as if she was trying to look at Lexa’s soul up at close o and notices the small twitch in Lexa's jaw as she tenses slightly and her throat wobbles a little.

_“Okay.”_

The detective is wary of where this is going but Becca smiles encouragingly at her as she leans back on her couch and taps her pen on her notebook.

_“You mentioned Clarke at the beginning of our conversation. Would you say that you still feel guilty about what happened with Cage?”_

At Becca’s question, Lexa adjusts her position on the couch. They have been here before, and Lexa is still not completely comfortable talking about Clarke and what happened with Cage but as usual, she eventually does.

_“I still think I have put her in danger even though everyone has told me that it's not my fault.”_

Lexa slowly draws her answer out after a couple of minutes in silence and Becca nods as she writes down a few words.

_“And without giving me details of the case you're working on, would you say she is in danger now?”_

Becca asks in a soft voice almost so she doesn’t startle Lexa and the brunette looks at her with a pained expression.

_“Yes, she has been targeted now, not once but twice.”_

_“Does it have any relation to you and your work?”_

Becca inquires gently and free of judgment and Lexa swallows down the knot in her throat as she clears her voice.

_“No. This case is a completely different one from what happened with Cage.”_

Lexa says unsure of where the therapist is going with the conversation and Becca smiles at her as she closes her notebook and then looks at Lexa with a soft and satisfied smile.

_“The mind of a person can be as complex as a puzzle. Although you still carry the guilt for what happened on a conscious level, the knowledge that Clarke is now in danger and it has nothing to do with you and your feelings for her is making your subconscious realize an important factor in your recovery. You see, your trauma made you cling to the guilt you're feeling and therefore made you incapable of walking and even feeling your legs, now that your subconscious is coming to terms with the fact that sometimes we can't control what happens you're able to feel again and walk again. Your mind and emotions took control of your body even though you had no physical injury. I want to work on it with you in the next few weeks. To work through your past trauma we will need to rationalize your emotions, I know it sounds contradictory, but I want you to be able to look at your emotions and compartmentalize them and accept them.”_

Becca explains carefully and Lexa looks at her with a skeptical expression clouding her features. Becca waves one hand in the air good-naturedly with a light chuckle.

_“I know you have been teaching yourself that emotions are a weakness Lexa; that was the first thing I noticed about you. But you have experienced now that to bottle up emotions is not very wise when it comes to our bodies and mind to work healthy as one. So I want to do a small exercise with you.”_

Becca says as she gets up from the couch and goes over to a shelf and retrieves a plain black notebook from it and hands it out for Lexa to take. The brunette does so as she eyes the therapist curiously.

_“I want you to take that notebook and write down your emotions, it doesn’t need to be a master thesis, only when you feel like they are overwhelming you.”_

_“A diary?”_

Lexa asks cautiously not hiding the surprise in her voice and Becca smiles at her.

_“Sort of, yeah, now I think we're done here.”_

Becca says with a smile as Lexa stands up from the couch too and eyes the notebook in her hands, she is about to leave when something comes up to her mind and she looks at Becca.

_“What about your report for my work?”_

Lexa asks and Becca nods at her as she smiles.

_“You’ve been improving, and in light of these new events and your good progress, I think you’re ok to work. Don’t worry, I'll make a report and send it over to your Chief just like you instructed in your email.”_

The therapist says and Lexa sighs in relief as she waves goodbye towards Becca and leaves the room.

**

The sun is still visible above the horizon by the time Raven and Luna step inside the building in the direction of Raven’s apartment. Raven sighs when she reaches her door and puts the key in the lock, with the rotational movement, the familiar click is heard and soon after the Latina is pushing the door open and allowing Luna to step inside first. The apartment looks a mess, from boxes on the kitchen floor with old cutlery and other kitchen utensils to a pile of Raven’s books on the couch it is clear that she has been packing her things as much as she can to make sure that she will have everything ready by the end of the week.

_“Wow, this looks like a WW2 bomb site.”_

Luna says teasingly and Raven slaps her butt as an answer causing some rouge paint to color her girlfriend’s cheeks.

_“I told you that you didn’t have to come, I can manage my packing.”_

_“Oh yeah, that is because clearly you have great packing skills, genius.”_

Luna says sardonically and Raven rolls her eyes as Luna walks over to the living room to look into one of the boxes as she wrinkles her nose.

_“You know; if I’ve had the foresight that this would be so confusing I wouldn’t have said yes to your proposal.”_

Luna says a soft smile playing on her lips as she looks around at the 3 boxes with books that Raven has already scattered around the living’s room floor, the Latina looks at her with one hand on her chest and a look of mock hurt in her brown eyes.

_“Would you really say no to me over a little hard work?”_

The Latina asks, her voice dripping with sarcasm and Luna chuckles as she walks over to her and pulls her close by the waist.

_“I’m definitely rethinking my decisions here. I don’t even know where I’m going to put all of this, not to mention your clothes! I mean, have you seen your closet?”_

The curly-haired woman teases leaning down slightly to brush her nose against Raven’s and the Latina laughs at her girlfriend’s words. Throwing her head back with laughter Raven shakes her head slightly as Luna takes the opportunity to attack Raven’s exposed skin on her neck. The detective bites softly at the skin and then soothes it with a soft lick of her tongue and an open-mouthed kiss that sends shivers through Raven’s body.

_“Mhm, not that I don’t enjoy this, but you told me you were coming here with the condition of helping me.”_

Raven says a little flustered and Luna nods into her neck as her hold tightens around the Latina’s waist.

_“Yeah, and that’s by making good memories of your last week here.”_

Luna says slowly and in a low sensual voice as she speaks close to the Latina’s ear and she feels when Raven’s nails dig into her neck. Luna smirks into Raven’s neck because she can see that Raven is getting hot and bothered; the detective trails kisses on the olive skin of Raven’s neck as she pushes up Raven’s bomber jacket and t-shirt and sneaks her hands under to touch the warm skin of the Latina.

With the sun casting a sort of glowing pink light through the blinds of the living room Raven lets herself fall into her girlfriend’s hot touch. Sometimes it still surprises her how Luna can make her body burn with desire, they have been together for months now, and although usually is Raven who teases Luna to the point of leaving her a needy mess there are other times where the curly-haired detective is the one that leaves Raven flustered and needing more. And although her confidence has grown bolder in her intimate moments with Luna, she treasures these moments when Luna takes control of her to ravish her body with sensual swaying movements.

As she senses Raven’s desire grow bigger Luna pulls back from Raven’s neck and takes a step back smiling at the small whimper Raven lets out with the lack of contact.

_“So where do we start?”_

_“Luna!”_

_“Raven.”_

The detective says and Raven huffs as she grabs Luna by the collar of her jacket and draws her in for a kiss. Luna holds Raven by the waist deepening the kiss as they stumble across the floor and fall on the couch with Luna knocking the pile of books on there to the floor as one digs into her side as she lands half on top of Raven and half on the sofa.

_“Fuck, baby, are you okay?”_

Raven asks when Luna groans at the contact with the book and the curly-haired detective looks sheepishly at Raven as she rubs the spot where the book dug into her.

_“Damn, you turned me into a clumsy person.”_

_“And you turned me into a sap.”_

Raven bites back, not missing a beat and Luna shakes her head as she looks over to the scattered books on the floor she eyes them with some disdain and then looks at Raven.

_“What are these books made of? Iron?”_

The detective asks as she picks the treacherous book to see it’s a copy of a classic from Tolstoy with a hardcover. Luna looks at Raven slightly surprised at the book in her hands and the Latina shrugs her shoulders slightly as she realizes that Luna never learned of her passion for reading.

_“Okay, let’s sort some of this mess before I kill myself with these books I think you have more books than clothes.”_

Luna says as she gets up from the couch and pulls Raven up with her, the Latina smiles and together they decide to pack some books of the boxes, and if the lack of a huge closet became a sort of inside joke between them, Luna is pleasantly surprised with the fact that Raven enjoys reading so much and has a very impressive collection.

**

The day is coming to an end and people are already flooding the streets in a rush to get home after a long day of work. Clarke and Octavia are sitting in a coffee shop close to both Lexa’s and Lincoln’s apartment. They decided to get together to go over some articles to be uploaded on the online page and also to talk about the article Clarke is writing on the courthouse attack, the news of her own attempted murder leaked pretty fast and she was forced to make an update on her own case and although she can’t use all the information she has on the case she is trying to make a truthful story nonetheless with the information she knows she can make public.

_“I’m done.”_

Octavia says with a yawn as she leans back on her chair and checks the time on her phone and Clarke looks at her.

_“Cool, I’m pretty much done too. I think we have everything settled, I can call you in the morning so we can go over any last-minute updates and then we can video call Monroe and get everything done.”_

Clarke says a soft proud smile playing on her lips and Octavia nods as she starts to pack her things away in her backpack. It doesn’t take them long to have everything packed away and they get up from their chairs and put on their light jackets. Granted that by the time they met at the coffee shop it was warm and the days are slowly but surely getting warmer but mornings and sunsets are still a bit chilly.

As they step out of the coffee shop Clarke looks around and then at her watch, Lexa’s house is really close by but the blonde wants to run some errands first. Octavia looks at her out of the corner of her eyes and notices the hesitant look on the blonde’s face.

_“What’s on your mind?”_

The younger Blake asks and Clarke looks at her as they start walking together.

_“I’m just thinking if I still have time to get some groceries before Lexa gets home.”_

_“How are things between the two of you?”_

Octavia asks carefully, she hasn’t asked before and Clarke hasn’t told her either, so the younger Blake decided to give it a rest, knowing when to give Clarke some space but since the blonde was the one bringing up the detective’s name, Octavia decides to play along and see what Clarke tells her.

_“I don’t know; I feel like she has been avoiding me, I think she is also giving me space but avoiding me at the same time.”_

_“I thought that you wanted exactly that?”_

Octavia half asks half says cautiously and Clarke sighs, after her conversation with Raven and Bellamy she had the chance to gain some clarity into some of the things she has been avoiding. Her feelings for Lexa and how easily she let go of the detective when Lexa pushed her away are only some of the things she has been putting in perspective since she moved into Lexa’s apartment and after her lunch with her friends, it became clear that she needs to do something.

_“That’s what I thought at first, I told you, I don’t want to endanger Lexa, but you were right that day, Lexa and I need to talk, and Bellamy and Raven made sure to point out that now that Lexa is back at work she will always put herself at risk, either for me or someone else.”_

_“Well, whether we like it or not it is part of her job.”_

Octavia says somewhat pragmatically as they stop near a flower shop and Clarke nods as she looks at the flowers, the young woman is about to close the shop and Clarke hurriedly goes inside leaving Octavia at the door with a curious look. A few minutes later Clarke is walking out of the store with a smile on her face and an orchid in her hands.

_“Aw, is that for me? You didn’t have to.”_

Octavia says teasingly and Clarke rolls her eyes as she shakes her head.

_“It’s for Lexa dumbass.”_

_“Wow, okay, okay. What are your plans then?”_

_“I’m not sure, but if I want to make amends with Lexa I need to not only apologize to her but also show her that I’m not giving up on her, not again.”_

Clarke says her face showing resolution and Octavia smiles as she nudges Clarke with her shoulder.

_“Okay then. I think that you should also think about making a nice meal, I mean you’re already staying at her house so why not cook something nice for her too? Like a romantic dinner date.”_

Clarke mulls over at Octavia’s words and then smiles broadly at her.

_“That’s a great idea; let’s go to the grocery store.”_

Clarke says and Octavia nods as they make their way towards the grocery store, Octavia will buy some things too in order to cook dinner for Lincoln. And even if she will have to ride a bus home after she will make sure that Clarke gets to Lexa’s apartment safe and sound.

**

By the time Roan reaches the gym the skies are already a dusky blue above him, the artificial street lamps making the sky look darker than it is. Roan puts the key on the lock and frowns, the door is already unlocked and he could swear that he had locked it the last time he was there on the morning of the day before.

Pushing the door open slightly he is greeted with the lights on and a figure a few steps to his left with their back to him. Roan closes the door behind him and hovers in the same spot watching Lexa jumping with a rope, a small smile graces his features at the sight of his friend. He counts to 10 and then Lexa stops, wobbling slightly as she stops and Roan takes a step further, his brow furrowed and concern etched in his blue eyes and on his serious face.

_“Lexa, are you alright?”_

The man asks as he looks at Lexa's sweaty and pale face, the detective looks startled for a couple of seconds taking off her earphones but then gives Roan a tight-lipped smile.

_“I'm fine, I was just finishing.”_

The brunette says and Roan narrows his eyes at her but stays silent as he watches Lexa take a few careful steps towards the bench to sit down on it with a sigh. Roan takes the other bench and sits on it looking carefully at his friend and work partner. Silence envelopes them while Lexa brings her water bottle to her lips and swallows a mouthful of water to drench her thirst. She looks around and notices more intently the small changes in the space.

_“I’ve never seen this gym so well organized and clean.”_

The detective says and Roan smiles proudly at her and then looks around realizing that Lexa is right. Training with Clarke has been fruitful not only for the blonde but for the gym too. Even though Roan always made sure to keep the space tidy he won't deny that Clarke's insights of the decoration and the places where some of the machines should be were a very welcome change.

_“Yeah, I've been spending a lot of time here and I had some help too.”_

The man says and Lexa tilts her head to the side looking at him curiously but smiles not asking about the help he has been having. Then the man looks at Lexa's gear and his eyes fall on a sort of plank wooden board with an elevation in the middle almost like a half ball.

_“What's that for?”_

The man asks remembering the day Clarke had pulled it out from the storage room and cleaned it to put it on display in the gym. Lexa's eyes trail off towards the object and she looks at Roan.

_“It's a balance board or whatever the medical name for it is, I was actually surprised to see one here, I never saw one here before. Basically it's used in physical therapy to regain balance, Niylah told me I should get one but since you have one here I'll just use this one instead.”_

Lexa explains calmly and Roan nods as he scratches the back of his neck trying to picture the exercises one can do with it. Then his eyes land on Lexa and his expression softens a little.

_“Look, Lexa, I know I gave you a hard time and I want to apologize for it.”_

_“There's no need to apologize.”_

Lexa says one hand in the air waving him off dismissively aware that neither of them are really keen to talk about emotions and Roan shakes his head.

_“No, I'm serious, let me just say this before I lose my courage.”_

The older detective says with a broken smile as his raspy voice echoes around the gym and Lexa remains silent but nods slightly at him.

_“I know I gave you a hard time, I wasn't there when you needed me, I should have been there that night and I wasn't and then… Then you left the hospital, and when I came to see you at the cabin and I overheard your conversation with Niylah, I was livid because she was telling you that you could walk again if you wanted to. I was selfish because I couldn't accept that you were in a wheelchair and I didn't think about what you were going through. I can't help but think that if I was with you that night things would be different.”_

_“You went to see your mother, and no matter what, she is your mother, I can't condemn you for it and what happened wasn't your fault, I would have gotten there before backup with or without you in town.”_

Lexa says softly and calmly and Roan nods as he casts his eyes to the floor with a heavy sigh.

_“It wasn't anyone's fault but Cage. I read his diaries, Lexa, he was completely insane.”_

Roan says, his voice certain and echoing and Lexa gives him a half-hearted smile and the man can see the turmoil of emotions in vibrant green eyes.

_“I mean it Lexa, I have a better idea now of what you felt when Costia was murdered, but no matter what you tell yourself he is the only one to blame here.”_

_“Thank you Roan.”_

Lexa says as she guesses what the man is trying to say and Roan smiles as he gets up and walks closer to her, placing one of his large hands on her slender shoulder.

_“I'm sorry, for everything, when you left the hospital I was stuck in the notion that we needed you, I needed you, but I failed to see that you needed us too. You might be our Heda, but that doesn't mean you have to be the one taking care of all of us at all times, and I know that even from out of town you kept your eyes on us. I know you were the one bringing Raven to the station.”_

_“Well if nothing else she is at least entertaining.”_

Lexa says smiling and thinking of all the times Raven made her laugh since she woke up from the surgery. Roan can’t help but smile because Raven always brightens the environment with the Kru when they work together.

_“That she is, a bit stubborn too, but she is also kind of a genius. Don't tell her I told you this though.”_

They both laugh, relinquishing in their proximity after so long and then Roan looks at his wristwatch and squeezes Lexa's shoulder once more.

_“It is really good to have you back Heda, but now let me do some training so I can kick your ass when you feel ready for it.”_

Lexa smiles with a small smirk at the challenge in Roan’s voice, with a nod she gets up from the bench and makes her way to the showers so she can change and go home. The broody detective wonders if Clarke will still be up when she gets home, granted they haven’t seen each other much, but Lexa still likes to have her around, her apartment feels like it is coming to life with Clarke’s things around even if Lexa has noticed that the blonde has been careful enough to tidy the place during the day. Despite their weird dynamic it’s nice to get home for a homemade meal waiting for her. But Lexa is also torn between caving into her feelings for the blonde and seeking her out or wallowing a while longer at the hurt she felt upon learning about Clarke and Niylah.

As Lexa gets under the hot water she thinks about her appointment with Becca, the therapist always helps Lexa put things in perspective even if Lexa doesn’t really want to and the truth is that now that she was confronted with the reasons why she is walking again she is also coming to the realization that she has been focused on work not only to give Clarke some space but also to avoid her. Avoiding a confrontation that sooner or later she will have to face after all Becca was right, bottling up feelings is never a good thing and in her years of work, Lexa had seen enough people snapping at little things because they bottled up the big ones.

**

The four packed boxes of books rest on the floor near the couch and Raven comes out of the bathroom after washing her hands and collapses on the couch beside Luna who immediately pulls her closer and hugs her from behind stroking the Latina’s dark hair.

_“I had no idea you had so many books.”_

The detective says and Raven chuckles as she closes her eyes to the soothing sensation of Luna behind her.

_“Yeah, well it's the result of more than one PhD’s and also my love to read stuff other than college-related books and it also compensates for my lack of a big wardrobe.”_

The Latina says and they both crack up in laughter at their recent new shared joke. It takes them both a few seconds for their giggles to subside and then Luna hums as she rests her chin on her girlfriend's shoulder.

_“How did your lunch with Clarke and Bellamy go?”_

Luna asks curiously after a few moments in silence and Raven leans further back into Luna’s front, picking up Luna’s hands and lacing their fingers to rest on the Latina’s abdomen.

_“After the fiasco of the last one, this one went incredibly well.”_

The soon to be former engineer student says and Luna smiles, as she feels a wave of contentment at being like that with Raven.

_“That's great; now that Lexa is here and you don't have to worry about hiding from Clarke where she is, you guys can just go back to your old dynamics.”_

Luna comments wisely and Raven hums with a nod of her head but then turns slightly to look at her girlfriend with a pensive expression.

_“I wish those two would just sort their shit out, it's been long enough for them to fucking face each other and just talk.”_

The Latina’s exasperation pulls a small smile and a nod from Luna, who strokes Raven’s cheek and kisses her on the lips.

_“They have a lot to solve, I mean I don't know Clarke as well as you do and I know Lexa was wrong but I always thought that Clarke would go after her.”_

Luna says and Raven moves in her arms to cradle the detective’s face in her hands, she thought the same thing at first, she thought that Clarke would pester Luna until she caved and she knows that Luna thought the same too.

_“Would you have told her though?”_

Luna tenses slightly at the question understanding it immediately but then sighs as she closes her eyes and shrugs slightly.

_“Honestly, I don't know, you know that for Lexa loyalty and trust doesn’t come easy. It's part of the reason why we work so well as a team, we all trust each other with our lives, to betray Lexa would put in question our own work as a Kru. Regardless of that though, I'm pretty sure I would at least have pointed Clarke in Lianna’s direction and you know Lianna well enough to realize she wouldn't give two shits about Lexa's fortress of solitude.”_

At Luna’s words Raven bursts into laughter and looks at her with an amused smile.

_“Fortress of solitude?”_

Raven asks teasingly amused at the super-hero reference and Luna shrugs with a small smile playing on her lips.

_“It seems fitting.”_

_“Does this superhero jargon mean that you’re up for more Supergirl’s episodes?”_

Raven asks, leaning closer and brushing her lips against Luna’s, and the detective shrugs as she pulls back a little, knowing what Raven’s intentions are, to seduce her to make her say yes as she has done before in other situations.

_“Maybe, but I still say Kara and Lena should be a couple.”_

Luna says and Raven laughs, discussing Supergirl’s sexuality has become an obsession between them.

_“Yeah, okay, I agree that they have amazing chemistry.”_

_“Not as much as we do.”_

The detective says with a smirk as she leans in and kisses Raven passionately, the Latina offers no resistance and in fact, she turns her body to rest on top of Luna’s and as the kiss deepens Luna’s hands tug at the fabric of Raven’s clothes. Reading Luna’s intentions well, Raven pulls back and gets off the couch offering one hand for Luna to take.

_“Let's take a shower first and continue this in my bedroom.”_

The Latina says and Luna’s eyes darken with desire with a nod she moves with Raven towards the bathroom. The night is still young and both of them want to make it last, as Raven says goodbye in the best ways possible to her apartment after so many years of living there.

**

By the time Lexa arrives at her apartment building the sky is already gloomy, the dark gray clouds are an indication that the night will bring some rain. The detective unlocks the door to her apartment and immediately is greeted with the sound of some pop music from the 80’s and the smell of homemade food. From the entrance hall, Lexa has a perfect view of the kitchen and she watches as Clarke sways to the sound of the music and she stirs something on the stove.

A weird feeling pulls at the strings of Lexa's heart and she realizes with a tired sigh that it's a sort of nostalgia for the future, a future in which she was with Clarke. Lexa's decision to push Clarke away in the hospital seemed to be the right one for her at the time but she won't lie that knowing about Niylah had left a scar.

The blonde notices the detective’s presence when Lexa closes the door with a click and she turns around to see Lexa hanging a coat on the rack and taking her sneakers off. Lexa's hair is still slightly damp from her shower and Clarke smiles at her. She turns the stove off and washes her hands to dry them after and picks up the flower she bought for Lexa.

_“This is for you.”_

The blonde says softly handing the flower of different shades of pink for Lexa to take; the brunette is slightly taken aback by the gentle tone in Clarke's voice. She takes the flower and looks at it.

_“Orchids were my mom’s favorite.”_

The detective says a soft smile on her lips and Clarke smiles at her as she watches Lexa's eyes flicker from the flower to the table already set and with some candles burning.

_“Thank you, I don't want to sound rude but what's going on?”_

Lexa asks carefully and tentatively and Clarke sighs as she looks at the table, a soft blush coloring her cheeks.

_“I… We… Uh… I want to talk to you… Uh… erm… The flower and the candles you have on the coffee table are a thank you, for what you're doing, I mean having me here and all. But the dinner… I thought that maybe a nice meal could help us have a proper conversation.”_

Clarke says and her voice is sort of rambling with a hint of a pleading note to it, as if she's scared of Lexa rejecting her idea. The blonde waits in suspense noticing the minor twitch in Lexa jawline as she tenses slightly, the detective’s first instinct is to run away, but then she thinks about her conversation with Becca earlier on that day and she nods. If she is able to take a bullet for the blonde and jump in front of a speeding car to save her, she will definitely be able to face Clarke and whatever the blonde has to say to her.

_“Okay, I already took a shower at the gym but if you don't mind I would like to change clothes before dinner.”_

Lexa says calmly and Clarke releases a deep breath she wasn't even aware she was holding. As Lexa walks towards her bedroom to get a change of clothes Clarke adds the final touches to their meal, it isn't anything fancy, just stroganoff with chicken and bacon, Clarke used her dad's recipe, she almost never cooks the dish because it was her father’s specialty but if someone is worthy of it and especially of her father's recipe it is definitely Lexa. To accompany the stroganoff she cooked rice and to balance things because she knows Lexa well enough to assume she will like it she also prepared a salad with cherry tomatoes.

When Lexa returns to the kitchen the food smells divine and Clarke is opening a bottle of red wine and has a hopeful smile on her lips. As if feeling Lexa’s eyes on her Clarke looks up with a soft expression in her azure gaze and Lexa takes a step towards the table pulling out a chair for her.

_“It’s nothing fancy but I hope you like what I made.”_

Clarke says as she watches Lexa serve the food for both of them, with the food served Clarke pours the wine in both of the glasses and Lexa waits for the blonde to sit down and start eating. As soon as she tries the first bite an explosion of flavor takes over her tongue and mouth and Lexa moans at it.

_“This is really good.”_

_“I’m glad you like it, I used my dad’s special recipe, and I haven’t in a while so I was afraid I could have lost my touch.”_

Clarke says almost mumbling with her eyes on her own food and a blush creeping over her neck and cheeks and Lexa pauses to take in the blonde’s features, this is her Clarke, the gentle but bold reporter who loves to keep the memories of her father alive. It almost feels like that first dinner they had in Lexa’s kitchen months ago; however it is not, this time they have heavy baggage to unpack and Lexa wonders if they will be able to move past their mistakes.

The dinner goes by smoothly and slowly, both of them aware that the other wants to talk but also wanting to keep this quiet moment for a while longer. Eventually, the silence becomes somewhat unbearable, almost as if they will suffocate if they don’t speak. The comfortable silence that they felt at the beginning shifting at some point during the dinner to something almost claustrophobic, almost as if in order to fully enjoy the rest of their night they have to say something fill the silence with some words. Clarke takes a sip of her wine and looks at Lexa at the same time the brunette places her fork down and looks at Clarke.

_“I’m sorry.”_

_“I’m sorry.”_

They say in unison and then chuckle at the realization that after all this time they are still somehow in sync.

_“Let me go first, please.”_

Clarke pleads and Lexa looks at the blonde as she twirls the wine in her glass and nods.

_“I know that a simple apology is not going to change what happened or erase what I did, but I do feel deeply sorry.”_

Clarke takes another sip from her glass of wine for courage as Lexa patiently waits for her to keep going, realizing that the blonde still has things to say and Clarke smiles thankfully for Lexa’s knowledge of her and respect for the blonde, giving her time to say what she needs to.

_“I can't forget the wild gaze in Cage’s eyes when he aimed that gun at me, you took that bullet for me and that image still haunts me at nights. When you woke up from surgery I noticed right away that something was wrong. It hurt me when you told me we were a mistake, I needed you to face the trauma of that night for both of us and you were closing yourself off to me, you told me to go and_ _I did but I… I told myself that I could move on… That… That I should move on because at the end of the day you were right, we were a mistake, not because having feelings makes you weak but because… because of me… you were in a hospital bed unable to move your legs. I didn't pull the trigger but I'm guilty all the same… I needed you but you were better off without me, it was easier to hate you for pushing me away than to accept my part on it all.”_

Lexa blinks at the blonde's words, all this time Lexa has been struggling with her guilt of having put Clarke in danger and the blonde reporter has been feeling the same towards Lexa. It would be ironic how similar their minds can work if it wasn't so fucking painful.

_“Clarke…”_

Lexa says in a soft way and Clarke's eyes get watery at the sound of her name rolling gently off from Lexa's lips.

_“Is that why you pushed me away the other day?”_

Lexa asks trying to understand Clarke's feelings now that she is walking and the blonde rubs her eyes trying helplessly to stop the tears from falling down.

_“I can't put you in danger, not again, I was mad because you left me and I needed you, but I ignored that you needed me too, needed all of us in fact. But now I have a target on my back and you showed up recently recovered and I just can't… I will never forgive myself if something happens to you.”_

The blonde says brokenly and Lexa feels her own eyes prickle with unshed tears.

_“You were never a mistake. I… I made a decision for the both of us that day; I didn't want to be a burden to anyone especially you. I was wrong; I took away your right of deciding for yourself, if you wanted to stay with me or not despite my paralysis. I thought I was protecting you, I mean, I was the one responsible for Cage, it was me he wanted all along, Costia died because of me and I almost got you killed too…”_

Lexa says in a small voice stopping midway to try and focus as tears swell up in her eyes and Clarke looks at Lexa's tearing up green gaze. She shakes her head vehemently but Lexa just exhales a shuddering breath of air.

_“My father was in a wheelchair too you know? He decided to drive drunk and got himself in an accident. Ironically I thought that it was a sort of punishment he got for driving my mom to kill herself… It felt fitting to me too for putting you in danger. I… I broke your heart that day but I broke mine too… I… I took comfort in the knowledge that you were alive and safe and then I found out about you and Niylah and was jealous but I thought it was for the best. You deserved better than what I could give you and I deserved that punishment for putting you in danger.”_

Lexa says, her voice tired and sad and Clarke can't help but get up from her chair and kneel next to Lexa taking her hands in her own.

_“Cage was sick; he could have been obsessed with anyone else… It was you and I’m deeply sorry for it, but you didn’t make him a murderer… That was on in… You have to know that at some level, Lexa you don't have to blame yourself for someone else's madness. You can’t always save everyone.”_

Clarke says brokenly squeezing Lexa's hands in her own to get through to Lexa keeping her grounded to her and the brunette looks at her with a small broken smile as she fights a sob.

_“I think I can try to hold on to that but only if you promise that you would do the same too.”_

Lexa says leaning down and resting her forehead against Clarke’s. They stay like that for a few minutes; both breathing in each other's scent and presence. And for the first time in weeks, they feel at ease almost as if they’re returning home after a long time away. Clarke is the first one to move as her crouching position becomes uncomfortable and as she sniffles slightly, Lexa rubs her eyes, drying the tears that gathered there.

They don't speak when Clarke starts to clean the table and Lexa gets up from her chair and goes over to the sink to start doing the dishes from the dinner. Both of them need some time to go over their words from just moments ago to seek some inner closure. It's only minutes later when everything is washed and set on the rack to dry that Clarke walks over to the fridge and pulls an apple pie from it. Lexa's eyes light up at the sight and the blonde smiles knowing that it's one of Lexa's favorite desserts.

_“What do you say about eating this on the couch and watching something on the TV?”_

Clarke asks softly and Lexa smirks slightly more or less coming to terms that they are both ready to turn the page on their lives.

_“We can catch up with the latest season of Grey's Anatomy.”_

The detective says and Clarke looks at her wide-eyed.

_“Really?”_

The blonde asks surprised, only a few months ago Lexa didn't even know that show and now she wants to see the latest season. Lexa shrugs her shoulders, a soft smile playing on her lips.

_“I had a lot of free time, and I enjoyed the show.”_

Lexa replies with ease and Clarke can't help the smile that forms on her lips. They walk into the living room with the small plates in their hands. Silently Lexa turns the TV on and searches for the right channel as Clarke looks at the couch that she didn't remember changing into a bed before. They both take a seat as an episode starts and enjoy the quiet night.

Two hours later the empty plates are resting on the coffee table and Clarke's head rests on Lexa's shoulder. And even though they didn't speak about their future Lexa can't help but feel content. Their conversation was quite emotionally draining but Lexa understands now how that the honesty of their conversation was the right step to take.

As another episode ends, Lexa sighs fighting the urge to stroke Clarke's face and brush the hair that had fallen in her face. Clarke moves and stirs slightly realizing that after eating the pie she dozed off and her head found Lexa's shoulder. The blonde blushes as she blinks and looks carefully at Lexa.

_“I… I’m sorry; I didn't mean to fall asleep on you.”_

The blonde reporter says shyly and Lexa smiles at her nudging her slightly and playfully with her shoulder. The night has progressed and although it is not late they feel the exhaustion of the night creeping upon them.

_“I think we should call it a night.”_

Lexa speaks her voice caring and gentle as ever and Clarke nods as she moves on the couch to get up but then something flashes through her eyes and she looks sheepishly at Lexa.

_“Would you… Uh… stay with me? I don't want to sleep alone.”_

At the blonde's words, Lexa's heart skips a beat and she blushes slightly but gives her a curt nod. Lexa knows that nothing will happen, but somehow the act of just sleeping in the same bed as Clarke feels so intimate that she can't help but feel giddy at the prospect of having Clarke close to her again.

They fall asleep peacefully with their backs to each other curling their bodies unsure of how to proceed but definitely glad to be in the same bed and that small spot where their clothed bodies touch each other is like a breath of fresh air luring them to a peaceful night of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you guys thought of this chapter!  
> Kudos, hits are always welcome along with you comments! :)   
> See you in the next chapter!


	9. Moving on, reconnections and the judge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> Welcome back! :)  
> Sorry for the slight delay on this chapter!  
> I hope you are all still enjoying this story and I want to thank those of you that have been kind enough to comment and left your kudos and your love for it.  
> After the heavy conversation Lexa and Clarke had in the last time let's see what the this new chapter have for them!  
> I hope you like it!  
> As usual keep your comments, kudos and hits coming and we'll see in the next update!  
> Enjoy! ;)

**Chapter 9 – Moving on, reconnections and the Judge**

As the sun peeks through the closed blinds of the window Octavia yawns and blindly reaches for her phone resting on the bedside table. It's a little after 7 am and she delicately moves out from Lincoln’s embrace. Picking up her phone and a change of clothes the younger Blake walks out of the bedroom and checks her messages. Huffing at the lack of messages from Clarke she decides that she will go out for a run hoping that when she returns Clarke will be awake and ready to talk about how her dinner with Lexa went.

Octavia gets ready silently in the bathroom so she does not wake Lincoln up and when she is ready and dressed in her sportive clothes on she opens the door and spots Lincoln leaning on the door frame of his bedroom, sportive clothes on too and an amused smile on his lips as he looks at his girlfriend with his arms crossed over his chest.

_“Good morning sunshine. I see you're still antsy.”_

The man says with a friendly smile and Octavia huffs but walks up to him and leans up on her tiptoes to give him a chaste kiss on the cheek.

_“I can't help my curiosity okay? You don’t get it; it's a reporter’s thing.”_

The petite brunette bites back teasingly and Lincoln looks knowingly at her, since their dinner the night before that Octavia has been curious about Clarke's and Lexa's time together, she even spent a restless night as her curiosity about her friend's dinner only grew bigger with the lack of communication from Clarke. Lincoln had told her that no news was better than bad news but Octavia wasn't entirely convinced.

_“So you decided to go for a run to take your mind off things?”_

Lincoln then asks as he hugs Octavia, keeping her close by holding her by the waist and the younger Blake nods into his chest, she is always glad to know that their height difference allows her to hear Lincoln’s soothing beating heart.

_“It's a good way to pass time, only the lord knows when Clarke will be up and functional regardless of what happened yesterday.”_

The brunette says slightly exasperatedly with the fact that Clarke is not an early bird and Lincoln squeezes her waist playfully as he smirks at her.

_“Well, I can think of better ways to keep you occupied for some time but seeing as we are both ready we can just go for a run around the neighborhood.”_

Lincoln’s playfulness brings a smile to Octavia’s lips and she shakes her head at her boyfriend’s teasing as she looks up at him with a lovingly innocent smile.

_“Maybe you can show me later, now let's go before the streets get too crowded._

_“As you wish my lady.”_

Lincoln says kissing the top of Octavia’s head and they lace their hands together as they walk out of the apartment. It had rained a little during the night, Octavia heard the soft sound of pouring rain on the windows when she woke up to get a glass of water and check her messages, but the streets are dry and not a lot of people are out yet so they establish their course and Octavia sets her sport’s watch to track the workout a kind and useful gift Lincoln had given to her at Christmas.

They start running and Lincoln smiles as he looks at Octavia’s face, focused on the rhythm of their pace, and maintaining her breathing. The kind doctor knows that his girlfriend is curious about what happened between Clarke and Lexa but also concerned, he won’t lie, he is worried too, he knows both of them well to know that they have strong characters, but he hopes that the love they clearly have for one another is enough to make them set the right course.

**

Lexa wakes up to a tickling sensation on her nose, the detective wrinkles her nose as to willing the feeling away but the sensation continues, even with her eyes closed she frowns, her forehead wrinkles and Lexa opens one eye to understand what's on her face. With one eye open all Lexa can see is blonde hair sprawled across her pillow. Blinking in surprise and awakening her body the detective is faced with blonde hair, Clarke's face a few inches below her own, and with this, another sensation comes crashing down on Lexa: a warm feeling between her legs that leaves her hot and bothered.

Along in the night, the two women had tossed and turned and now their legs are intertwined and a hot knee is digging into Lexa's groin. Gulping at the predicament she finds herself in, Lexa tries to move only to realize that Clarke is gripping tightly to a fistful of her t-shirt. Shit! Lexa thinks as she tries to pry from Clarke's grasp only to feel that damned knee rubbing against her once again.

Lexa feels her cheeks getting flushed with the blush creeping up from her neck to her face, it is not like she is ashamed of how her body is reacting to the situation, she is only human after all, and she always felt attracted to Clarke. But they just talked about their mistakes and started mending bridges the night before; this is definitely not the time to be turned on by the blonde, especially when the said blonde is sleeping.

Once again Lexa looks down at herself to see her hand on Clarke's hip; the detective moves her hand right away but can’t stop her eyes from noticing that through the night Clarke's shirt had ridden up exposing some white creamy skin. Lexa shakes her head slightly and once again tries to move but the result is not the expected one. Clarke’s knee slides again and in doing so rubs on her already throbbing center.

This is not how she planned her morning to start and Clarke is still perfectly asleep, but then a hand sneaks underneath her shirt trailing soft fingers over Lexa's hot skin causing her eyes to bulge from her eye sockets. Clarke stirs slightly, her hand moving upwards and a soft thumb brushes slowly over one of Lexa's boobs. Oh fuck! Maybe the blonde is not in such a deep sleep as Lexa thought.

Clarke is slowly coming up to her senses, and the first thing she notices is slickness on a piece of clothing and her own leg trapped between two toned ones. The emanating warmth coming from between Lexa's legs makes the blonde acutely aware of the predicament in which Lexa finds herself in, even though the woman's body is now tensing in a clear indication of her inner conflict. Clarke is by no means a prude, she knows what's happening and she is more than comfortable with it. She never stopped desiring Lexa and judging by the way the detective’s body is reacting to her, the feeling is thankfully mutual.

This realization makes Clarke smile into Lexa's neck as she remembers all the times the detective had been totally open for Clarke to take her, exposing a vulnerability that Clarke knows she hasn't shown since Costia.

They might still have a long way to go, but when Clarke moves her leg slightly rubbing that sweet spot and making Lexa inhale sharply the blonde knows that she wants this as much as Lexa. She wants to pleasure Lexa.

The blonde smiles as she tugs at Lexa's t-shirt and moves her mouth to the brunette’s windpipe, Clarke kisses Lexa’s neck, and Lexa freezes as she moves one hand to pull Clarke slightly away from her and as Clarke moves she purposely rubs at Lexa's center again.

_“Clarke?”_

The detective asks with a gasp and Clarke opens her eyes to see Lexa's green ones, she reads the question in the silent look and smiles.

_“You want this.”_

Clarke says and her voice sounds hoarse from sleep and Lexa gulps.

_“Are you sure?”_

Lexa asks in a soft voice because well she has to and Clarke smiles as she leans in to kiss Lexa's neck once more as an answer.

_“Shh, just let yourself go.”_

Clarke says softly as she rubs her thumb over Lexa's breast feeling the pink nipple hardening at her touch. Gently Clarke coaxes Lexa onto her back and then straddles her, she kisses every inch of Lexa's neck and throat, moving her mouth to Lexa's earlobe to bite it slightly only to soothe it after with a soft lick of her tongue. Clarke takes pleasure in the fact that she is still able to make Lexa whimper with her touches.

Lexa moans quietly at the actions as her sex throbs with need. The blonde notices the slight movement of Lexa's hips canting upwards and sits up pulling Lexa with her and takes off the detective’s t-shirt. Gently forcing Lexa to lay on her back again, Clarke then starts trailing kisses over the brunette’s torso. The blonde reporter stops at Lexa's small and round breasts and with her left hand, she grabs Lexa’s right breast and squeezes it slightly as her mouth takes care of the other.

Clarke's tongue is sinfully hot twirling around Lexa's nipple and the detective whimpers at the contact. The low soft moan rolling off of Lexa's lips fuels Clarke further even though the detective is trying to keep quiet, almost as if not to startle Clarke and make her stop. Clarke, however, wants to have Lexa completely; she needs to know that she can still make the detective scream her name in pleasure. Something primal urges the blonde to keep going, something that she can’t quite name, but she knows that she wants to make Lexa hers once again and so she does.

Clarke travels south and stops when she reaches Lexa's shorts, taking in the small damp stain on them, the indication of how much the broody brunette wants this. Scratching Lexa's hips, the blonde taunts her before placing her fingers in the waistband of the garment and pulls it down, Clarke looks from a patch of hair glistening with desire to Lexa's face, her eyes closed and her bottom lip between her teeth.

The blonde can't help but smile at Lexa's beauty, her silhouette casting shadows on the white sheets and Clarke takes Lexa in trying to engrave the moment in her memory, almost like a painter trying to hold on to how beautiful Lexa really is just to make the image immortal by painting it later on. The reporter leans down placing wet kisses on Lexa's taut abdomen and places a lingering one on the scar where Lexa was shot. The brunette tenses slightly but Clarke soothes her by trailing her fingertips along Lexa's sides leaving goosebumps in her wake.

The brunette knows that Clarke cares when she kisses her scar but can’t help to think about what led to it, the danger and the fact that she almost lost Clarke to Cage, Lexa thinks about the way she broke the blonde’s heart when she made her leave the hospital that day, but somehow when Clarke kisses her scar once more and rakes her fingertips over Lexa’s abdomen, the detective feels like nothing else matters but the two of them waking up to each other like this.

With her left hand, the blonde spreads Lexa's juices over her folds, rubbing circles on the swollen nerve that is Lexa's clit and any thoughts about how soon this all seems to be vanish from Lexa’s mind at the pressing need in her center. The detective whimpers and Clarke leans down to kiss her labia, and after so long apart it still feels natural to be intimate with Lexa.

_“Mhm”_

Lexa moans as Clarke takes her clit into her mouth and sucks it slightly. Lexa's hips jerk at the contact and something tells Clarke that Lexa won't last long. The blonde kisses Lexa's most intimate part with hunger, a hunger that the blonde didn't even know she was feeling. As Clarke's mouth works on Lexa's sex the detective grows restless, seeing white dots through her closed eyelids.

_“Lexa?”_

Clarke asks softly looking up at her lover and the detective opens her eyes to see a devilish angel between her legs.

_“I want you to look at me. Can you do that?”_

Clarke asks huskily and Lexa gulps but nods as she adjusts her head on the pillow to do as she was told.

_“Good girl!”_

Clarke grins as she looks from Lexa's eyes to her sex and stretches her right arm to intertwine her fingers with Lexa. Despite the fact that the blonde knows Lexa won’t need much more to come undone she wants to make it count, it’s her first time with Lexa after months and even if the blonde is driven by her own desire of having Lexa again she won’t neglect the fact that she wants to pleasure her the best she can, Lexa deserves that much.

Focusing on her task again, Clarke licks Lexa’s sex as the brunette jerks her hips and moans trying her best to keep looking at Clarke. It's rather difficult to keep her eyes open when Clarke is eating her out so deliciously but the vision of blonde hair between her legs and blue eyes staring back at her at any given chance is equally sinful.

Clarke's mouth is on Lexa's clit again; her tongue working relentlessly on the detective’s swollen nerve licking and twirling. She lets go of Lexa's hand and the reporter watches as the brunette grabs the sheets to the point of her knuckles turning white. Clarke holds Lexa's hips down with both hands and with a flick of her tongue teases Lexa's entrance.

_“Fuck.”_

Lexa can't help herself but curse at the blonde's actions, she is completely lost to the sensations as her mind goes blank and all that matters is what’s coming next. Clarke smirks into Lexa's hot and wet sex and repeats the action again, feeling Lexa grow restless in the need for more. The blonde reporter adjusts her position and thrusts her tongue inside Lexa rolling it inside the detective and Lexa groans in pleasure. The blonde repeats her motions a couple more times before moving her mouth back up to Lexa's clit and then using her right hand to cup Lexa's ass slightly, grabbing it before sliding her hand underneath it to lift it slightly and pushes one finger inside the detective who squirms in pleasure.

Clarke starts the familiar dance of moving one finger in and out of Lexa, remembering that the detective usually doesn't take more than one finger the first time. Just as Clarke predicted it doesn't take long for Lexa to feel the familiar build up in the pit of her stomach, as her back arches and her walls clench around Clarke's finger. The blonde sucks Lexa's clit with new vigor, curling her finger inside Lexa, angling it in the right spot.

_“Fuuuuck.”_

Lexa says as she closes her eyes and buries her head onto the pillows as a wave of pleasure ripples through her body rushing through her sex and causing her to spill her essences into Clarke's hand and mouth. Clarke licks her clean as she can, utterly content to have been the one making Lexa come undone and moves from the position she was in to lay beside Lexa with a smug smile at Lexa's limp body and labored breath.

They stay silent for a couple of minutes, enough for Lexa to regain her bearings and even out her breathing. She sighs as she looks around and notices that Clarke is still wearing her pajamas, the detective rolls on her side and moves one hand in Clarke's direction but the blonde sensing Lexa's intention of reach out for her moves and sits up in the bed looking at the time in her wristwatch at the bedside table.

_“I'm going to use the bathroom quickly before you go in and take a shower.”_

The blonde says hurriedly as she gets out of the bed and Lexa frowns.

_“Clarke, are you okay?”_

The detective asks and Clarke gives her a small smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

_“I'm fine. I'll be quick.”_

Clarke says and leaves the room hastily as Lexa watches her with a furrow in her brows in complete confusion as to what happened. Clarke was the one who sought it, she was the one telling Lexa to let go and now she left to hide in the bathroom and Lexa feels a tear roll down her face thinking that maybe Clarke is rejecting her and regretting what she just did.

**

In the bathroom Clarke splashes some cold water onto her face as she washes her hands; she has to cross her legs to will her own need to pass and the lord knows how much she wanted Lexa to touch her. She looks at her reflection in the mirror and sighs. The blonde is craving Lexa’s touch but for some reason she didn’t let Lexa touch her. The blonde brushes her teeth and runs her fingers through her hair before putting it up in a messy bun.

Not sure of what to say to Lexa once she gets out of the bathroom Clarke lingers inside a while longer as she takes deep breaths and thinks about how pliant Lexa’s body felt under her touch, the familiar intimacy still clearly there and Clarke would make Lexa hers all over again if she had the chance and yet something stopped her from letting Lexa have her too. Before she has more time to think about it Lexa’s phone starts ringing from the living room and she hears Lexa padding barefoot over the floor to pick it up.

_“Woods here.”_

Clarke hears Lexa’s voice and can’t help but smile and the confident and formal tone of voice, so different from what Lexa sounded just minutes before when Clarke was devouring her.

_“What?”_

Lexa asks and Clarke knows her well enough to hear the concern dripping into her voice, the blonde looks around uncertain of what to do until she hears Lexa’s voice again.

_“Yes of course. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”_

Clarke finally opens the door to see Lexa barefoot, t-shirt haphazardly thrown over her body, a pair of shorts, and her forehead wrinkled deep in thought.

_“Lexa? Is everything alright?”_

The blonde asks gently not hiding the concern in her voice and Lexa looks at her with an unreadable expression, hurt, fear, Clarke can’t tell. With a curt nod and avoiding Clarke’s eyes, Lexa places her phone on the coffee table.

_“I need to take a shower and I have to go.”_

Lexa says passing by Clarke and making sure she doesn’t touch the blonde, the detective is still unsure of what happened, not wanting to dwell on the possibility that Clarke might have regretted what just happened Lexa walks into the bathroom and takes a quick shower to go back to her room to dress in a hurry and avoiding Clarke’s inquisitive gaze when she grabs a few cookies from the cookie jar in the kitchen before leaving Clarke alone with a conflicted heart and a concerned mind.

**

When morning comes Luna stirs slightly in bed feeling Raven’s hair tickling her back, their bare legs intertwined and one of the Latina’s hands holding Luna’s bare breasts. The curly-haired detective chuckles slightly amused at the fact that even in her sleep Raven seems to be a boob person. The detective moves out of Raven’s embrace and puts a shirt on and a pair of shorts deciding to take a shower and get ready for the day. Then the curly-haired woman walks over to the kitchen to see what her girlfriend still has in her fridge. She is not surprised when she finds that the fridge is almost empty, after all, Raven has been staying at Luna’s more often than not.

Luna decides to cook breakfast with the few ingredients available and busies herself making fresh coffee, despite the somewhat chaotic place the curly-haired detective finds easily what she will need. When the coffee is done she moves to the stove to cook the scrambled eggs with bacon and cheese just like Raven likes it.

A few minutes pass with the birds chirping outside announcing the morning and Luna hums contently as she gets the plates ready for the eggs. The detective is about to turn off the stove when one pair of arms circle around her waist with a soft kiss placed on one of her shoulders for good measure.

_“Good morning babe.”_

Raven whispers in Luna’s ear and the detective smiles as she turns the stove off and turns around beaming at Raven and kisses her nose.

_“Morning, you have fresh coffee and I just finished the eggs.”_

Luna says with a smile and Raven nods giving a chaste kiss on Luna’s cheek before helping herself to some black coffee. The Latina grabs two cups of coffee pouring some milk in Luna’s and places the cups on the kitchen table as she looks at Luna serving the scrambled eggs.

_“I found some buyers for some of this furniture.”_

_“That’s great, what about the things in the garage, you said some of that stuff is Clarke’s?”_

Luna asks as Raven tries the eggs and nods.

_“Yeah, it’s old stuff from college and some from Finn. I already asked Abby to store Clarke’s stuff at her house, I guess that now that they aren’t butting heads over Clarke’s work she won’t mind if I move some of her stuff to her mother’s and as for the stuff that was from Finn’s, I’ll ask Clarke to go through it with me and see if she wants to keep some of it and decide what to do with the rest.”_

Raven says with a casual shrug and Luna looks at her as she takes Raven’s left hand in hers and squeezes it slightly.

_“You know I won’t mind if you decide to keep something of Finn’s don’t you?”_

The detective asks softly and Raven has to blink the tears away, not because the idea of departing with Finn’s old stuff is painful but because Luna is always gentle and comprehensive. The detective must be one of the most selfless people Raven has ever met. The Latina holds Luna’s hand and brings it to her lips kissing softly Luna’s knuckles.

_“I love you.”_

Raven says in a soft low whisper and Luna blinks a couple of times surprised at the sudden admission, after all, it is the first time Raven has said those words. The detective moves in her chair leaning in and takes Raven’s hand in hers to cradle her own face but only after kissing the palm of Raven’s hand.

_“I love you too and that’s why I’m telling you that I understand if you want to keep some of your past with him.”_

Luna says tenderly and Raven smiles as she tries her best not to cry at Luna’s caring and gentle tone.

_“I know, but that’s just a bunch of old stuff, I don’t even know exactly what we have there anymore, it’s been years since I went through it, I just found his gun during a random search.”_

Raven says as she tenses slightly looking at Luna and the detective can almost guess what her girlfriend is about to say even before she says it.

_“Speaking of, you never told me what you guys did with it.”_

_“All you have to know is that it was sorted.”_

Luna says with a smile as her phone starts ringing and she frowns slightly but picks it up from the table, her frown growing deeper as she sees her Chief’s name on the screen.

_“Yes, Chief?”_

Luna says formally and politely and Raven looks up at her as Luna nods and starts getting up from the chair looking at the clock Raven has on the kitchen wall.

_“Of course Chief, I’ll meet you there, I’m on my way.”_

Luna ends the call and looks sheepishly at Raven and the Latina smiles at her as she gets up too.

“ _Let’s go, I’ll drive you home so you can pick your motorcycle and then I’ll come back to clean this up and get ready too.”_

Raven says with a smile and Luna nods thankfully because she came with Raven in her car the day before, as Raven puts some sweatpants on Luna packs her things quickly, glad that she took a shower as soon as she was out of bed and changed into her work clothes. Judging by Indra’s tone whatever happened was definitely serious.

**

When Lexa parks her car in the parking lot of the hospital the sun shines bright in the sky and it’s hot in her skin despite the slight breeze. The detective gets out of her car adjusting her hair and spots Luna arriving on her motorcycle the brunette walks in her direction and as soon as the curly-haired detective takes off her helmet she notices Lexa standing near waiting for her. Luna hops off of the vehicle and walks up to Lexa.

_“What's going on?”_

Luna asks and Lexa shakes her head in a clear indication she has no idea either, unsure of what’s going on they share a nod and start walking. They stride forward on the pavement and walk through the glass doors to see Indra talking with two other officers, the blue uniform and the dark circles around their eyes a clear indication that they have been up all night and upon a closer look one is unmistakably Bellamy.

_“And are you sure no one else got in the building?”_

Indra asks sternly and both officers nod as Bellamy notices Luna’s and Lexa's arrival.

_“What the hell happened?”_

Lexa asks looking from Indra to the two officers, offering Bellamy a small smile and a nod, and the older Blake sighs in greeting.

_“Judge Pike was admitted into the hospital an hour ago with signs of a stroke.”_

Indra says with a tired sigh and Luna looks from Lexa's baffled expression to her Chief.

_“You don't seem convinced Chief.”_

Luna comments calmly and Indra looks at her and then at Lexa.

_“The doctors are performing exams on him as we speak until then I don't want to jump to unfounded conclusions.”_

_“But you're suspecting something else might be going on?”_

Bellamy asks carefully and Lexa looks at him with a soft smile at his wisdom.

_“I don't want to rule out any possibilities at this moment; we can't afford to miss anything in this case, that's why I already sent Roan and the others to the Judge’s house. But as I said until we have a preliminary medical report we can't really draw any conclusions.”_

The woman says wisely and Luna nods as she looks around once and then at Indra again.

_“What do you want us to do?”_

Luna asks and Indra looks at her and Lexa, the Chief has a feeling that Lexa won't appreciate the task but she doesn't have any other choice.

_“Blake and Parker finished their shift one hour ago, I need someone that I trust to stay here and wait for the medical team to let us know what is going on.”_

Indra says and Lexa tenses slightly but nods, it doesn’t matter which hospital she finds herself in, hospitals always leave her antsy. However, this is work and she has to cope with it however she can. Indra looks at the older Blake and his partner and dismisses them before turning to Luna and Lexa and nodding once before she starts walking out of the hospital too. Parker looks at Bellamy and the rookie sensing some apprehension oozing off from Lexa, smiles at his partner, and waves him off.

_“I'll stay awhile longer Parker, don't worry.”_

Bellamy says and Parker nods and walks away as Lexa looks quizzically at Bellamy.

_“You don't have to stay, I'm sure you're tired too.”_

The detective says and Bellamy shrugs but remains at the same spot as Luna smiles gently at his actions. The police officer starts walking with Luna and Lexa telling them where Pike is and they round the corner and decide to wait for news of the Judge in one of the waiting rooms.

As they walk inside the empty waiting room Luna decides to grab some coffee from the vending machine for them and it doesn't take long for the curly-haired detective to be back with three coffees in her hands.

_“So did something happen for Indra to be suspicious of the reasons why Pike was brought into the hospital?”_

Luna asks as Bellamy takes a sip from the less than good beverage and shakes his head slightly.

_“Nothing happened on our watch, when we got to his building we were informed by the other squad car that Pike had ordered dinner and the delivery guy was there a couple of minutes before we arrived and that was it. It was already dawn when we intercepted his call to the 911 due to the surveillance we had installed at his place. We rushed into Pike’s home to help to keep him stable while we waited for the paramedics.”_

Luna nods as Bellamy takes another sip of his coffee and the three of them stay silent for a few minutes. Then Bellamy looks at Lexa noticing she is fidgeting with the plastic cup in her hands.

_“How are things between you and Clarke?”_

The older Blake asks curiously and Lexa ducks her head as memories from her morning come to her mind and she blushes slightly. Luna and Bellamy patiently wait for Lexa to answer but with some curiosity not noticing her faint blush.

_“I… Things are going okay I think.”_

The detective says frowning slightly as she thinks back to when she tried to touch Clarke earlier in the morning but the blonde had moved out of reach. Lexa is not sure of what happened and she didn't have the time to talk to Clarke about it, but after all that happened she knows better than to expect everything to be normal as if nothing has changed.

_“The fact that she decided to stay with you is at least a little small step. I mean, no one can expect either of you to pretend that nothing happened. But we all know that both of you still have strong feelings for each other. You will be able to find common ground eventually.”_

Luna says in the wise and calm demeanor that is so characteristic of her and Bellamy nods as he squeezes Lexa’s shoulder and downs the rest of his coffee getting up from the plastic chair to put the empty cup in the trash can and Lexa looks at Luna.

_“She’s right you both need time.”_

_“What about you and Raven?”_

Lexa asks with a soft smile as Bellamy returns to his chair and looks at Luna too.

_“Well she's moving in this weekend and on that note can either of you volunteer to help us out?”_

Luna asks with a joyful glint in her eyes and Bellamy grins at her.

_“I have to say, I would never have imagined that I would see Ray so whipped to the point of moving in with someone. And just because of that I'll help you as thanks.”_

Bellamy says with a chuckle and Luna laughs as she looks at him.

_“She never really had a chance, I'm too charming, don't tell her I said this.”_

Luna says in a conspiratorial tone as Lexa rolls her eyes but smiles nonetheless and Bellamy chuckles.

_“Count me in.”_

Lexa says and Luna nods as she leans forward in her chair as if to tell them a secret.

_“That's great because there are a lot of boxes of books to carry. I mean I didn't even know Raven enjoyed reading so much.”_

_“Oooh, didn't she tell you about the time when she joined an acting group in college? She was a terrible actress but she bought a lot of books about that.”_

Bellamy tells them clearly amused at the memories of Raven trying and failing miserably to rehearse her words and Lexa narrows her eyes at him in disbelief.

_“Raven an actress? No way.”_

Lexa proclaims and Bellamy grins broadly nodding his head enthusiastically.

_“I swear, she was given a role in which she had to portray this very sad character once and she was terrible, the group taking pity on her asked her to work on the scenarios instead.”_

Bellamy explains as Luna and Lexa laugh, settling to stay at the hospital for a while longer both detectives are more than happy to hear Bellamy retelling stories about his friends especially Raven and Clarke's stories.

**

Octavia is in the middle of the process of watering Lincoln’s plants when the doorbell rings indicating Clarke's arrival. The blonde has texted her friend after Lexa's departure to ask if she could come over to Lincoln’s apartment, the brunette had checked with her boyfriend and Lincoln had chuckled at the question saying that his house was now Octavia’s too and that Clarke was more than welcome there.

Octavia walks to the door and presses the intercom button allowing Clarke inside at the same time she opens the apartment door to wait for the blonde and greet her as she steps out from the elevator. As Clarke walks out of the elevator Octavia smiles and leans in to hug her friend.

_“Hey O, you're sure Lincoln doesn't mind me being here?”_

_“Hi Clarkie! Of course not, I asked him before he went to work.”_

Octavia says as she leads her friend inside the entrance hall and Clarke looks at her.

_“Was he called in too?”_

_“No, why? Did something happen?”_

The petite brunette asks curiously and Clarke nods as she remembers Lexa's rush to leave the house.

_“Yeah, Lexa got a call and left in a hurry.”_

Clarke comments as Octavia leads her further inside, and gives Clarke a tour of the large apartment. Clarke takes notice of the minimalist cozy decoration, there are a few paintings hanging on the walls, landscapes and rivers, and forests that catch Clarke's eye.

_“Wow, these are amazing.”_

Clarke comments as they stop in the living room and the blonde’s eyes linger on a set of three paintings occupying the wall behind Lincoln’s large couch in a diagonal setting. On the middle of the paintings, one is definitely the central one, the big canvas displays a river in the middle cutting the scenario in two, in one of the sides a dark green vibrant forest that reminds Clarke of Lexa’s eyes in dark environments, crossing the river a wooden bridge and at the other side remains what looks like a decaying city with sand covering the streets and a big tower made of cement and iron with shattered windows. The other two paintings are smaller in comparison, on the one on the left side to the top of the larger one stand two figures in the middle of the lost city, in dark clothes and one looks like Indra judging by the dark skin and short hair, the other one, a slender female with a red cape falling from her armor along with her long hair swaying with the wind, looks unmistakably like Lexa. In the other painting to the right side of the larger one and a little below the other two, a tall man seems to be looking from the forest to the large painting and at the two women in the decaying city from the other small painting. The dispositions of the paintings form a sort of post-apocalyptic story that takes Clarke by surprise and captivates her.

Octavia smiles proudly at Clarke noticing the keen interest in which the blonde surveys the art on display.

_“Lincoln painted them. Plants and painting are his hobbies, he says it not only calms him but it also helps him feel closer to his ancestors. I’m sure he will tell you the story behind these three paintings, it was something to do with Lexa’s nickname Heda and all the culture of his tribe but in a futuristic setting.”_

Octavia explains as she leads Clarke to the space where Lincoln spends some of his free time painting and opens the door and Clarke gasps at the several paintings spread around the room and the canvas on which the man has been working on. The blonde looks around the room from the doorway not wanting to invade Lincoln’s space but takes notice that the current one on which Lincoln is working seems to be a portrait of Octavia, but the clothes and shades remind Clarke of the other paintings in the living room.

_“He is really good.”_

The blonde says with a smile and Octavia nods grinning at her friend.

_“Between the two of you, I'm sure you could open your own gallery if you guys wanted to.”_

The younger Blake says and Clarke chuckles lightly at her friend's words, she has been painting a little but mostly drawing, she isn’t sure if she could really compete with Lincoln’s clear talent. Octavia then closes the door and walks in the kitchen’s direction as she starts making some coffee for the two of them.

_“Do you want something to eat with the coffee?”_

Octavia asks from the other side of the kitchen as she pours the coffee into two cute mugs from Harry Potter and Clarke shakes her head grabbing the Gryffindor one with a smile.

_“No, thank you, I had breakfast before I came here after Lexa left.”_

The blonde says as Octavia nods grinning at the fact that Clarke left her the Hufflepuff mug even though the blonde always said that Octavia is a Slytherin, they both walk to the living room once more and even though Clarke hasn’t been at Lincoln’s apartment before she feels comfortable there. They take a seat on the large comfy couch and Octavia takes a small sip from her fresh coffee as she looks carefully at Clarke.

_“How was your dinner yesterday with Lexa?”_

The younger Blake asks not being able to hide her curiosity any longer and Clarke blushes slightly as she ducks her head thinking of Lexa's hot skin and soft moans under her touch just a little over one hour ago.

_“We talked, really talked and it felt good. We both spoke about the guilt we feel about what happened.”_

_“Did she explain why she broke up with you?”_

_“She didn't want to be a burden.”_

Clarke says through a shuddering breath, remembering some of the words Lexa had told her when they were sitting on the couch eating the pie. Octavia shakes her head with a sad sigh.

_“She should have known that you wouldn't feel like that.”_

_“Yeah, but it's not just that, you know she always felt guilty about what happened to Costia, she has spent too many years thinking that love is weakness. She saw Brett getting shot and Cage pointing a gun_ _at me. I mean I can't fault her for being scared and afraid of facing her feelings after what happened. In her chivalrous way of being she pushed me away thinking I would be better off, in her mind to keep me in her life would be an unnecessary risk, I would be safer with someone else, I mean her reasoning is that I almost died because of her and then she was paralyzed with zero chances of being able to protect me.”_

Clarke explains calmly trying to make Octavia understand Lexa's point of view, granted that their conversation wasn't a long one but Clarke knows Lexa enough to have understood everything that the detective tried to convey in her words and actions. And when Lexa left the apartment the blonde put her previous night in perspective and in the light of what happened that morning, how Lexa gave herself freely to Clarke but only after making sure that the blonde wanted it, it all made sense. The blonde was able to have a better idea of Lexa’s feelings behind her actions.

_“And all this time your feelings for her were more or less the same. Unbelievable! Did… Did you tell her that?”_

Octavia asks carefully and Clarke nods taking a sip from her coffee.

_“I told her that I felt guilty too.”_

Clarke says in a small voice and Octavia leans in to squeeze Clarke's forearm with a gentle smile playing on her lips.

_“I know it mustn't have been easy, but now you have all the cards on the table, you both made mistakes and you have acknowledged that to each other, now it's time to put the past behind you and look ahead.”_

Octavia says wisely and Clarke nods, if Lexa's open vulnerability that morning had shown anything is that the detective still wants Clarke. The blonde sighs, downing the rest of her coffee and places the mug on the coffee table, then leans back on the couch and closes her eyes. Octavia looks at her with a furrow in her brows as she takes in Clarke's thoughtful expression.

_“Did something else happen?”_

The younger Blake asks because she can see that something is slightly off with her friend. Clarke gulps thinking about that morning, about how she avoided Lexa's touch and saw the conflicted look Lexa gave her after it.

_“We… After our conversation yesterday… I… I didn't want to sleep alone, I asked Lexa to stay in the bed with me and she did. Nothing happened though, I just felt at ease with her there, safe, if that makes sense. But this morning when we woke up… I… We… We must have turned during the night and we were close, like really close. I don't know what came over me but I… I wanted Lexa to feel good, and I did but then she tried to reach out for me and I… I just couldn't for some reason.”_

The blonde says and Octavia can see a shade of shame in her blue eyes, sighing the petite brunette turns slightly to look better at Clarke.

_“Did you guys talk about it?”_

Octavia asks looking intently at her blonde friend seeing the turmoil of doubts and uncertainty in her azure gaze. Clarke closes her eyes once more and lets out a shuddering breath.

_“I… No, we didn't talk. I kind of ran to the bathroom to hide.”_

_“Did you regret it? Doing it, I mean.”_

_“No, no. I would never regret being with Lexa, I wanted to make it all about her. I don't know what happened, I sought refuge in the bathroom trying to put my thoughts in order and to understand what was going on, but before I had the chance Lexa's phone was ringing and she had to leave in a hurry.”_

Clarke says brokenly and Octavia notices how genuine her words are and how lost she is.

_“Hey, don't beat yourself up over it. I'm sure that you'll figure out, Lexa and you have come a long way in a short period of time. And with everything that is going on it's just normal to be confused about stuff, it takes time to heal.”_

Octavia says gently and Clarke nods with a sigh.

_“Yeah, you're right. It's just that she had this distant lost look on her face before she left. I didn't want to make her feel like I was rejecting her, for some reason it just felt like I didn't deserve what she was willing to give me and I think that she felt exactly that: rejection. She thought I was regretting her or rejecting her.”_

Clarke says and Octavia nods with a pensive expression.

_“Maybe you should try and tell her that when you have the chance to.”_

_“You're right. Do you think I should call her?”_

_“You mean right now? Didn't you say she was called into work?”_

Octavia asks slowly and Clarke stops moving with her phone in her hands and looks at Octavia.

_“Yeah, but that's one more reason to call her now, I mean I'm also curious to know what happened. Lexa didn't tell me what was going on, being curious about it is the perfect excuse to call her and see how she is.”_

Clarke says and her voice sounds secure and uncertain at the same time, Octavia looks at her friend with a slight shrug of her shoulders but eventually her curiosity to know what happened wins her over and she nods.

**

The morning is slowly but surely fading away and yet for Lexa and Luna, it feels like an eternity has passed since they first arrived at the hospital. Both of them had sent Bellamy home, after all, Bellamy had done the night shift and even though he didn't show it he was tired.

The doctors had briefed them a while ago but they couldn't say much as they were still waiting for lab results and looking for possible causes to the judge’s condition. So as the morning fades into noon all that Lexa and Luna know is that Pike is somewhat stable even though something isn't quite right with his medical condition.

Lexa joins Luna on the uncomfortable plastic chairs with two sandwiches and two cans of iced tea. Luna grabs one of the sandwiches and starts eating it observing Lexa out of the corner of her eyes. After a while in silence, the curly-haired woman shakes her head and turns slightly to face her friend.

_“What's going on?”_

Luna asks and Lexa looks at her and then looks around the quiet waiting room. The sunlight almost blinding her as it hits the white walls and Lexa closes her eyes, gosh she really hates hospitals.

_“I don't know what you mean.”_

Lexa says sounding nonchalant but Luna can see through her seemingly calm facade.

_“You've been sulking all morning, and I know for a fact that you hate hospitals, but I can see something else is bugging you.”_

Luna says gently and Lexa sighs wondering if Luna has always been able to read her that well or if it was just one more of the few changes Clarke has made in Lexa's demeanor.

_“I'm just thinking about the case.”_

Lexa tries to avoid the subject but Luna shakes her head with a smile as she takes another bite from her sandwich.

_“Lexa, you might think that you're this unreadable book but I've known you for years, I know when something is up with you. Stop bull shitting me and tell me what's got you so broody.”_

Luna says, answering Lexa's inner question about how she can read her so well, the broody detective takes a sip of her cold beverage and crosses her legs resting her ankle on her thigh.

_“Clarke and I talked yesterday.”_

The detective says in a low voice and Luna narrows her eyes at her but remains silent, always the persevering friend. At Luna’s silence, Lexa looks at her out of the corner of her eyes and sighs as she takes a deep breath, knowing that the curly-haired detective is waiting for her to elaborate on her words.

_“We talked about what happened, and it wasn't bad, but it was an emotionally draining conversation. I… When I decided to leave the hospital and Clarke behind I knew I was breaking her heart but I failed to see how much. I failed to see how much that fucking night would mark her life too.”_

Lexa says brokenly and Luna nods as she waits for her friend to continue, Lexa lets out a rueful chuckle and shakes her head slightly as she feels like maybe, and after having more or less a similar conversation with her therapist, it's not that bad to open up to Luna, after all, she’s her best friend.

_“I thought I was doing the best for Clarke, I mean I was the one leading Cage to her, and I was paralyzed, what future could I offer her?”_

Lexa asks rhetorically and Luna feels her heart clench for her friend’s pain.

_“I failed to see that Clarke needed me then, she went through a traumatic event and at that time I was so keen to put distance between us that it didn't occur to me that she needed my support, I mean all I could think about was that she deserved more. I was the one putting her in danger and if I stayed I could do it again and I couldn't even protect her. I was drowning in my guilt and all that time she was feeling the same way too.”_

Lexa says and Luna looks at her seemingly at a loss for words at this new revelation. Lexa lets out a heavy sad sigh with a shake of her head.

_“Clarke felt responsible just the same, she felt like I was paralyzed because of her because Cage tried to kill her.”_

The detective says as a couple of doctors pass by the door and both detectives look at them to try and see if there are Pike’s doctors when it's clear that they didn't come looking for them Luna sighs and looks sympathetically at her friend. The curly-haired detective can't help but think of how tragically beautiful it is that such two different people can be so similar.

_“No one is saying it is going to be easy, but you can make it work, especially now that you two have talked. I mean the fact that you left Clarke and that she let you go because both of you were feeling guilty and trying to protect the other shows how much you two care for each other even though instead of cutting ties you should have talked about it. But now you are finally being able to have a proper conversation and it's up to you two to mend bridges.”_

Luna says wisely and Lexa nods as she looks down at her hands and thinks back to that morning.

_“I don't know. I mean I want to believe we can stop making harsh decisions for each other but this morning we had a moment but then I tried to reach out to her and she just ran. I don't know if she was regretting it. But I can't help but feel like she was and I can't stop myself from thinking that she was with Niylah after I left and feel rejected. I mean it’s not like I was expecting Clarke to be faithful to me when I was the one leaving her behind but it stings a little.”_

Lexa says casting her eyes on her sandwich, slightly ashamed for her thoughts and feelings and Luna looks at her for a brief moment. Her heart clenches for Lexa as she thinks of the right words to say.

_“I'm sure that Clarke is just as confused as you. It's a lot to take in, I mean a few weeks ago you two weren't even speaking and now you're sharing the same space, having deep talks and moments. It's not easy for either of you but with time I'm sure you will figure it out.”_

The curly-haired woman says with a comforting smile as two doctors walk in and look at them.

_“Detectives?”_

One of the doctors says as Lexa and Luna look up at them and get up from the plastic chairs to be at eye level with the doctors. They can tell that one doctor is clearly older than the other and in charge, if not only for the few gray hairs in black short hair but also the dark blue color of his work clothes, Mark Riddell can be read on his badge.

_“Judge Pike is stable now; his symptoms pointed us to a stroke however we think something else caused his condition, more likely a toxin in something he ingested. As I'm sure you understand the lab tests will take a while to show anything conclusive so unless you deem it completely necessary I think you both can go for now and we will call you as soon as we have a preliminary report to show you.”_

The doctor says formally and Lexa looks at Luna since she's the one in charge, Luna nods and looks at the doctors pulling out a card from her wallet and handing it over for the doctor to take it.

_“Thank you; please call us as soon as you know something or if something in the judge’s condition changes.”_

Luna says politely and both doctors nod and turn around to go back to their tasks. Lexa looks at Luna and groans.

_“All this time waiting for nothing.”_

_“No, not exactly, I mean the judge’s condition was induced and not natural, that much is clear from what the doctor just told us. I'll call Lincoln to let him know, so he can team up with Fox and Raven, they might be able to find something from whatever samples Roan and the others got from Pike’s house.”_

Luna says and Lexa looks dubiously at her with a raised eyebrow as she tosses the rubbish of their food away.

_“Fox and Raven, isn’t their area more like explosives and stuff?”_

_“Well yeah, but they can run pretty much any samples and help Lincoln and Jackson with whatever they need.”_

Luna says with a proud smile as Lexa's phone starts ringing and she fishes it from her pocket to see Clarke's name blinking with the incoming call.

_“It's Clarke!”_

Lexa says in a small voice and Luna looks at her with a soft caring smile.

_“Answer it dumbass. I’ll also call the Chief and have a patrol car sent here so they can keep an eye on the judge if this is poisoning we have to think that it might be Dax.”_

The detective says and Lexa fumbles a little but accepts the call putting the phone to her ear.

_“Clarke? Is everything okay?”_

The brunette asks with concern etched in her voice as Clarke looks at Octavia with a smile from the other side of the line.

_“Yeah everything’s fine, I just… I… You left in a hurry this morning, is everything okay?”_

The blonde asks and Lexa can sense that Clarke's reason to call wasn't exactly just curiosity over what happened.

_“Yeah, I mean something happened but we're not sure what yet, don't worry. Are you… Are you at home?”_

Lexa asks tentatively and she hears Clarke sighing at her soft voice.

_“No, I'm at Lincoln’s with Octavia; we're going to work a bit on some stuff. Lexa?”_

The blonde says and Lexa's heart skips a beat at the blonde's unsure tone of voice.

_“Yes, Clarke?”_

_“About this morning...”_

_“It's okay Clarke you don't have to explain anything.”_

_“But I want to. I don't want you to think I was rejecting you, I… I don't know what happened, but I need you to know that I don't regret what we did. I couldn't ever regret it.”_

The blonde says and even over the phone, Lexa can hear the genuine truth in the blonde's words. There's a beat and Lexa smiles softly at the blonde's reassurance.

_“I believe you, Clarke. I have to go now.”_

_“Yeah, yeah, sure, go and do your badass thing. I'll be home when you get there, stay safe.”_

Clarke says with a soft smile that doesn't go unnoticed by Octavia. Lexa smiles as Luna shakes her head at the dopey smile on her friend's face.

_“Will do. See you later then.”_

Lexa says ending the call as Luna ends her call too and looks at her with an amused expression on her face.

_“What?”_

Lexa asks as she starts to walk out of the waiting room and notices the expression on her friend's face.

_“Nothing, for someone who has been sulking all morning all it took was Clarke's call to make you smile.”_

Luna replies easily and Lexa rolls her eyes but can't help but feel lighter after the blonde's words. Both of them walk out of the dreadful place, more than happy to leave the hospital behind them and move on with their day.

**

At the sound of approaching footsteps, Gaia lifts her head to see Ontari walking towards the desk next to hers. The prosecutor lawyer didn't even need to look up to know it was her work colleague arriving. Gaia is by now more than used to the clicking sound of high heels on the tiled floor, one of Ontari’s signatures are the expensive Louboutin that the fellow prosecutor proudly wears almost religiously at work.

_“Sooo, have you heard the news?”_

Ontari asks cryptically as she places the expresso on her desk and looks at Gaia while shrugging her blazer off her shoulders. Gaia stops typing and her fingers hover above the keyboard and looks quizzically at her.

_“What news?”_

_“Judge Pike is in the hospital. I had a court session with him today that was postponed.”_

The brunette says as she picks up her folder case to place it on the desk before she pulls the chair out and sits down. Gaia looks at her work colleague and frowns.

_“Do you know what happened?”_

The woman of dark skin asks and Ontari shrugs slightly with a shake of her head.

_“Not much, all I know is that I when I arrived at the courthouse I was told that my court session had been postponed because Judge Pike had been taken to the hospital. But I'm sure your mother can tell you more.”_

Ontari says with a small smirk and Gaia rolls her eyes and checks her notes on the laptop.

_“We have a court session scheduled for next Monday.”_

_“Yeah, I'm not sure about that.”_

Ontari says and Gaia narrows her eyes at her but remains silent knowing better than to probe Ontari for more information. Although they have been working together for quite some time and they are more or less the same age, there was always something about Ontari that threw Gaia off. The woman is incredibly beautiful, professional and intelligent, but she is always closed off and cold in her interactions. Gaia doesn't fault her for the competitiveness in the office, after all, to climb the ladder in the Prosecution department one must somehow be detached but Gaia has seen people building strong friendships there, and yet none of her work colleagues seems to be close with Ontari.

Mulling over Ontari’s words about the judge and curious about what happened Gaia looks at her wristwatch and then around at the common office. The large space naturally illuminated by the sunlight coming through the glass windows all around, at the typical wooden desks her work colleagues are typing and making phone calls, there are few vacant ones either with absent people at the courthouse or with spots available. The place looks lively as usual and no one seems to even notice when Gaia grabs her things but Ontari gives her a sideways glance.

_“You're going somewhere?”_

The brunette asks and Gaia rolls her eyes at Ontari’s sudden curiosity. Picking up her satchel and blazer Gaia looks at Ontari and shrugs slightly.

_“I'm gonna get some fresh air.”_

_“Don't you have a session later on?”_

Ontari asks, her eyes slightly narrowed and Gaia can't help but ask herself since when did Ontari get so curious about her life and schedule.

_“I have but only in a couple of hours thank you for reminding me.”_

The attorney prosecutor says with some sarcasm and Ontari nods unbothered by it.

_“See you later then.”_

Ontari says in a sudden friendly tone of voice and Gaia waves goodbye and starts walking in the elevator’s direction.

**

The team steps out from the judge’s place and Echo looks over her shoulder with a relieved sigh.

_“This has felt like a treasure hunt in the museum!”_

The FBI agent says and Anya chuckles looking at the house once more before going to their cars.

_“Apart from his minimal kitchen that house is full of art that’s for sure.”_

Anya comments and Roan and Miller chuckle with a nod as Nathan looks at them with an amused expression.

_“Who would paint the room purple?”_

Nathan asks as Roan shrugs, they already knew that Pike was eccentric but after having been in his house they are even more aware of the man’s taste. The team has recovered several things from the judge’s house: clothing, leftovers, and some samples of other things too. After a couple of hours in the man’s house, they are more than glad to go back to the station. Pike’s house was definitely not what they were expecting, considering Pike’s strict character in court the team was more than surprised to see the living room painted in a dark shade of orange color, with several art pieces decorating the place, the judge’s room was another room exhibiting a weird sense of fashion, the walls painted purple and the curtains a sort of golden tone.

Following Indra’s instructions the team had searched the entire house looking not only for samples to test in the lab but also any proof that the man had received threats since he started working on Nia’s case. The laptop and the man’s phone are also among the objects that the team is bringing to the station with them and they hope that after being in the man’s house for a little over two hours they have got something to present results that would explain the man’s sudden illness.

As they reach the cars parked on the street Miller looks around and smiles at Jackson as he helps him with some of the samples that the doctor deemed worth testing. The sun is bright in the sky and it’s almost lunchtime, Anya checks her wristwatch and looks at the rest of the team.

_“Okay Miller you take Jackson and go straight to the station. Roan, you take Aden with you and check with the Chief to see if any of us need to swing by the hospital if not Echo and I will make a stop on our way to the station to buy something for lunch.”_

The words are not a real command, after all, Anya wouldn’t overrule Roan when the case belongs to the Kru but everyone nods at her words nonetheless as they go their separate ways to the cars. As everyone gets inside the cars Anya puts her sunglasses on and Echo climbs into the car and looks at her curiously.

_“You don’t think this is a coincidence right?”_

Echo asks as Anya starts the engine and looks briefly at her thinking about the videos and about what happened in the courthouse.

_“It would be an awfully big coincidence don’t you think?”_

_“Yeah, listen, Anya, I haven’t said anything yet because so far I think Chief Indra and Luna are covering that possibility too, but I can’t help but think that the person who would benefit the most from this would be Nia.”_

Echo says looking at the car behind theirs to see Roan talking with Aden as he drives the car slowly behind them. Anya nods pensively and takes a peek through the rearview mirror too with a sigh.

_“I know what you mean, but so far we only have Dax as a suspect and so far Nia has been targeted too, and you saw the emails on the laptop Aden got from her house. I mean our only link to her is dead.”_

Anya says with some frustration dripping into her voice and Echo nods but remains silent. Something feels off about the whole case since the beginning, Dax has been out of jail for quite some time before he attacked the courthouse and since he was working with Nia’s former associate they can’t help but think that something bigger is at play here. However, the case seems to be going on in circles and neither of them can seem to be able to find a strong theory to pursue.

Sighing Echo turns on the radio as she adjusts her sunglasses and picks up her phone to check with the rest of the team what they want for lunch.

**

The car stops at the driveway to the expensive mansion and Teb looks around as one of the security guards comes up to him.

_“Mister Teb, you can park inside, she is expecting you.”_

The man in black clothes says and Teb nods as the man says something into the intercom and the big iron gates open to let him inside. The sunlight feels hotter in his dark vest and the man adjusts the collar of his button shirt, fixing the tie after parking the car. Looking around Teb nods once to himself and kills the engine of the car. Stepping outside the man adjusts his vest and opens one of the back doors to his expensive Mercedes-Benz to retrieve his messenger bag and his suit jacket.

Striding up the marble stairs Teb feels somehow uneasy, it's not like he is scared of his client but Nia can be very intimidating and she is clearly taking what happened in the courthouse seriously judging by the number of men and women in black tuxedos. Before he has time to knock on the large wooden door the door opens and he is greeted by a woman who leads him to an impressive office, a large table with a laptop on it with a few papers scattered around. He takes in his surroundings and sees Nia pouring whiskey into two glasses with ice. He smirks slightly, they don't call Nia the Ice Queen for no reason, the last name of the woman is Winters, but upon her coldly façade there's also the fact that she mostly drinks whiskey always with two cubes of ice.

_“Mister Teb it is a pleasure to see you again.”_

Nia says in a surprisingly friendly tone and Teb looks at her as she offers one of the glasses for him to take.

_“Ma’am.”_

The man says with a curt nod and takes the glass with a thank you; Nia gives him a tight-lipped smile as she moves one hand in the direction of the table.

_“Come, we have much to discuss.”_

The woman with piercing blue eyes says and Teb nods as he walks over to the desk and sits in a chair after placing down his glass.

_“I guess you have heard the news about the Judge?”_

The man half states half asks and Nia nods at him.

_“Terrible news.”_

The woman replies with fake worry and Teb smirks slightly.

_“Well, that's debatable. With Judge Pike in the hospital, your hearing for next Monday will be rescheduled again, which gives us more time to prepare our next steps.”_

The man says as he opens his messenger bag and pulls a few files from it offering one for Nia to take and read. The woman sitting elegantly in her large leather chair picks it up and opens the file to see a few names in it. Nia narrows her eyes and looks up at her lawyer.

_“They want the Mayor to testify? On what grounds? The poor man was oblivious to everything.”_

Nia says proudly after fooling Titus for months and Teb nods at her looking down at his notes.

_“According to the information your source got me, he is supposed to be a last-minute surprise witness. The Mayor ordered that formal investigation of the office’s accounts when you left the office, I'm sure it's about the results he got.”_

Teb says watching as Nia carefully brings the glass to her lips not even wincing slightly at the bitter strong taste of alcohol on her taste buds. Nia looks at him and nods as she scribbles down some notes of her own.

_“Alright, I'm not sure of what the results on it were but I'm sure I can get them.”_

The woman says and Teb nods as he too brings his glass to his lips, and taking a sip of his whiskey he sighs at the taste and places the glass on the desk looking at Nia once more.

_“We also have to go over the testimonies of Miss Griffin and her partner.”_

_“I thought that had been dealt with.”_

Nia comments twirling the liquid in her glass and Teb ducks his head slightly ashamed for no rational reason.

_“Our plan was to make the jury doubt the evidence brought to court based on those two reporters' work, I’m sure we would have achieved it if it wasn’t for the bomb.”_

_“A minor incident can’t jeopardize your work, I pay you well enough for you to see it done properly.”_

Nia says coldly, bringing her glass to her lips again and Teb looks at his papers and at his client again.

_“I’m sure this can be solved; especially now with Judge Pike in the hospital, if his condition continues like this they will have to assign a new judge to the case, one that perhaps will be more inclined to overrule those documents.”_

Nia stays silent for a couple of minutes studying the lawyer but eventually nods and gets up from her chair and walks with poised elegance towards one of the walls of the office and opens the safe pulling a large envelope out and looks at Teb.

_“I need you to keep these for me for a while.”_

_“And what is this about?”_

Teb asks and Nia gives him a cold warning look.

_“I told you before mister Teb, I don’t pay you to ask questions, I pay you to get things done, see the contents of this envelope as a backup plan to another backup plan. If needed this is to be sent over to the Mayor, but only if I say so.”_

Nia says sternly and Teb swallows the lump in his throat as he takes the envelope and places it neatly in his messenger bag. Nia returns to her chair and looks at her papers on the desk leaning back on her chair and looking seriously at Teb they start to go over a few more subjects that Nia wants to take care of.

**

It doesn't take long for Gaia to reach her destination and to park her car outside the 13th police station. She grabs her satchel climbing out of the car and locks it behind her as she looks around and puts up her sunglasses to block out the bright sunlight. The attorney lawyer walks in the direction of the building’s entrance and takes off her sunglasses after climbing the five steps and walking inside as her eyes adjust to the darker environment. As Gaia takes another step inside still somewhat blind from the sun she stops and looks around, a body collides with her from behind and Gaia almost loses her balance as a pair of hands holds her by the waist.

_“Wow. You shouldn't stop like that in the middle of a hallway. Be careful.”_

A woman says sternly as Gaia moves from the hold of the woman, not pleased with the uninvited physical contact from the stranger and turning around to reply to whoever it is as she locks her eyes with a pair of hazel ones looking intently at her. Gaia blinks a couple of times almost blinded by the sharp jawline in front of her and the woman’s smirk grows wider as she looks the woman over from head to toe intensively.

_“Can I help you?”_

The woman with dark blonde hair asks as she takes in the dark-skinned woman in fancy clothes and braided hair.

_“Gaia, I got your message. Is everything alright?”_

Indra asks as she approaches her daughter, noticing the challengingly stare contest going on.

_“Chief?”_

Anya asks and Indra smiles as she looks from Gaia to Anya with an amused smile threatening to break out on her face.

_“Anya, I don’t think you have met my daughter yet. Gaia, this is agent Anya Wild from the FBI, she’s working with us on the courthouse bombing attack. Anya, this is my daughter Gaia, she works for the Prosecutor’s office, and she is one of the attorneys on Nia’s case.”_

Indra formally makes introductions and Gaia looks from the woman, Anya, to her mother with a smile shaking the weird sensation that she felt upon seeing the FBI agent.

_“Ontari told me that Judge Pike was in the hospital, do you know what happened?”_

Gaia asks as she eyes Anya once more with keen interest, there’s something about the FBI agent that caught Gaia’s eye and the woman is not sure if it is the strong presence oozing off from Anya or her incredibly exotic beauty.

_“As a matter of fact I do, Anya, can you join us in my office? Lexa and Luna are still at the hospital making sure that the Judge is safe.”_

The Chief says and Anya nods as she places her hands behind her back and gives Gaia a sideways glance, the FBI agent knew that Indra had a daughter but she had never seen her in person, she only saw Gaia in an old photo from her as a baby that Indra has in her office.

_“Of course Chief, we did as you asked and we retrieved several things to bring back to the lab.”_

_“Perfect, now let’s go shall we?”_

Indra asks formally and both her daughter and Anya nod as they follow Indra upstairs and to her office. And if Anya puts an extra effort of being chivalrous by placing one hand on the small back of the prosecutor’s attorney and leading her through the door Gaia doesn’t seem to mind the contact as much as she did before.

**

It is way past lunchtime when Lexa and Luna arrive at the station, both of them not even pretending not to be tired from all the time they have spent in the hospital. As Luna tells Lexa she will talk to Indra the broody detective nods and mumbles something about needing a strong coffee.

Lexa walks over to the lounge room and fixes herself a large cup of coffee, then proceeds to take a seat as she goes over the morning’s events. Anya saunters in and plops down in a chair looking at Lexa with a devilish grin on her face.

_“Sooo, I met the Chief’s daughter.”_

Anya says as she takes a pack of chips and opens them and starts eating. Lexa looks at her with a raised eyebrow but stays silent only to tease her friend.

_“You didn’t tell me she was hot.”_

Anya says bluntly when it is clear that Lexa won’t say anything and Lexa chokes almost spitting her coffee out but downs it down in one go and looks baffled at Anya.

_“Gaia is hot?”_

Lexa asks dumbfounded and Anya looks at her with a grin as she nods.

_“Yeah, all fancy clothes, strong pose, and that braided hair framing her sharp jawline.”_

_“Okay stop there. She’s Indra’s daughter.”_

Lexa says blushing slightly at Anya’s comment and looking around as if she was making sure they are alone in the lounge room.

_“And? I’m just saying she’s hot that’s all, I mean she gives off an interesting vibe.”_

_“Are you being serious right now?”_

Lexa asks, perplexed at Anya’s sudden interest in the Chief’s daughter just after having met her. Anya remains unimpressed by it as she leans back on her chair putting another chip into her mouth.

_“I may or may not have asked her for her number and she might have thought I was actually charming and gave it to me.”_

The sounds coming from the common room faintly reach the two friends and Lexa is clearly surprised at Anya’s reaction to Gaia. Lexa shakes her head slightly and looks at Anya with a curious expression.

_“What about Roan?”_

The detective asks and Anya starts coughing as she splutters on one of the chips she was just munching.

_“What about him?”_

The FBI agent asks with a suspicious look on her face and Lexa rolls her eyes but indulges her friend anyways.

_“I’m not dumb Anya, when we were working together you and Roan seemed to be pretty close and it seemed like you guys were hitting it off pretty well. All those training sessions together and going together for drinks at Redemption, I mean you even managed to get Roan to bet against me during that sparring session of ours.”_

The detective says with a smirk and Anya shakes her head, for some reason the knowledge that Lexa caught them makes her glad; Lexa wouldn’t bother paying attention to such details if she didn’t care for Roan and Anya equally.

_“Well, that was a one-time thing, I mean Roan is good looking and interesting and I guess he would understand my work routines and respect them, it’s not often to find someone who gets your work, especially considering that we risk our lives on pretty much a daily basis, but he was Echo’s boyfriend for a while and I can’t help but feel like that would be weird somehow. Not that I think Echo would mind, especially now that she has Bellamy, but still, it was just something to take the edge of during a stressful case.”_

Anya says almost rambling and Lexa has to bite back a laugh having never seen her friend like this, she can tell that her friend has put some thought into it; she shrugs slightly looking at Anya with an observant gaze.

_“Okay, if you say so. So you have Gaia’s number, are you going to do something with it?”_

_“I don’t know, maybe I’ll try to get to know her better.”_

As Anya finishes her sentence Lexa nods and Miller walks in the lounge looking at them both with a serious expression.

_“Guys, you have to come, Chief Indra wants to see us.”_

Miller says and walks out of the room and judging by his tone of voice and his hurried steps Lexa can tell it’s something serious she looks over at Anya who is already up on her feet and brushes the crumbs off her shirt. Hurrying up after Miller both women walk back into the common Kru room to see Indra and Luna standing near the board.

_“Listen up Kru, I just got a call from the hospital, Judge Pike is dead.”_

A heavy silence falls over every member of the Kru and Lexa can’t help but shake her head as she looks from Indra to Luna.

_"But we just got back from the hospital, not even an hour has passed and we were assured that he was stable.”_

Lexa says baffled at the news and Indra nods clearly understanding the woman’s confusion.

_“I don’t have many details about it and I asked Jackson and Lincoln to head over to the hospital, I want the autopsy to be done here. But Pike died and we know now that it wasn’t from natural causes.”_

Indra says and Luna resists the urge to groan, Pike’s death it wasn’t an accident or natural he was murdered and that means that Dax or whoever it is working with him were not making light threats and they all know who the next targets are going to be unless they crack the case and catch the people behind this.

Lexa can’t help but think about Clarke, the blonde was targeted twice and if they don’t find something about Dax it won’t take long until she is targeted again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo this is all for today.... ;)   
> Let me know what you think! :)


	10. Long days and date nights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys welcome back! :)  
> How are you all? I hope you're all safe and well.  
> So here we are for another chapter of this fic, as usual I want to thank those of you who have been leaving comments and kudos, your love and support for this work warms my heart and I hope you keep on doing so! :)  
> Okay so with no further delay let's start this chapter shall we!  
> I hope you enjoy it!!!

**Chapter 10 – Long days and date nights**

By the time Lexa unlocks the door of her apartment, it is already dark outside and way past dinner time. With the death of the judge everyone decided to stay longer at the police station to go over every single detail they had on the case, it didn't help much but they felt the need to do something, after all, one person was dead and more people were still being targeted.

The detective walks inside the almost dark apartment and looks around, a few candles are burning in the living room and the faint sound of the TV reaches her ears. Lexa takes her lightweight jacket off and takes off her shoes peeking at the living room to see Clarke dozing off on the couch. The blonde is peacefully asleep and Lexa can't help but smile while staring at her beautiful face. Coming closer Lexa can't stop herself from brushing a stray of fallen hair from the blonde's face and gently brushing her fingertips over the blonde's forehead and ear and Clarke stirs slightly, at the sudden movement Lexa draws her hand as she takes a step back not wanting to invade Clarke's personal space. The blonde opens her eyes and blinks a couple of times as she looks around to see Lexa hovering in the living room.

_“What time is it?”_

The blonde asks softly as she sits up straight up on the couch and Lexa sighs as she looks at her wristwatch.

_“It's past 9 pm. You should go to bed.”_

The detective says and Clarke looks up at her patting the space on the couch next to her and Lexa sits down.

_“I was waiting up for you. What happened? You look tired.”_

Clarke asks softly, noticing the slight wrinkle in the detective’s forehead and she turns slightly towards Lexa as their knees touch faintly.

_“Nothing you need to worry about.”_

Lexa says and even to her own ears sounds like a white lie. The reporter hears it too because she sighs and takes Lexa's hands in hers.

“Lex?”

The nickname slips easily through the blonde's lips after weeks of not having said it softly like that and Lexa sighs feeling the warmth of the blonde's hands in her own.

_“Look, if we want to work as… as a team we have to be honest with each other. And I'm not saying this because I want to know what happened, but because I think we have had enough misunderstandings between us.”_

Clarke says softly and Lexa nods with a sigh, understanding the blonde's words and their deep meaning. The detective closes her eyes briefly and debates on how to tell Clarke the news about the case.

_“I know, but…”_

The broody detective starts and Clarke shakes her head rubbing her thumb over Lexa’s knuckles in a reassuring gesture.

_“No buts Lex, it's time we stop making decisions for the other and act together. And I don’t mean about your work but as… as, uh… as individuals trying to take it a step further.”_

The blonde trails off and Lexa looks delicately at her with a nod, whatever the blonde was about to say died on the tip of her tongue. There is no pressure though, after all, it’s still early to label whatever they are at the moment and they aren’t even sure yet. Lexa takes a deep breath and looks at Clarke.

_“Judge Pike died today. We’re not sure of the causes yet, but we know he was murdered.”_

Lexa says and Clarke looks at her tensing slightly at the news, they both know what this means and the seriousness that this entails. Clarke has been targeted twice, and although the police have a suspect, Dax is still nowhere to be found.

_“Is that why you got called into work this morning?”_

_“Yes, the judge was brought to the hospital with what appeared to be the signs of a stroke, he was fine when we left but during the day his condition deteriorated.”_

There’s a pause and a few beats go by in silence before Clarke squeezing Lexa’s hands waiting to lock her gaze with green forest eyes.

_“I want to take you out on a date!”_

The blonde blurts out and Lexa’s eyes widen at the sudden change in the conversation.

_“Clarke?”_

_“I’m serious. I know I have a target on my back, but I refuse to let it stop me from living my life. Life is too short to live in fear and I really would like to take you out on a proper date. I still want you Lexa, if you’ll have me that is, and I know that we’re growing closer, I don’t know what came over me this morning but I know one thing and that is that I want to have a second chance with you.”_

The blonde says earnestly and Lexa has to bite back the tears that threaten to roll down her face at the blonde’s admission. Any reservations the brunette might have had after their morning and about going out with Clarke seem to vanish as the blonde looks hopefully at her. And Clarke waits in silence for an answer, maybe Lexa will call her crazy, but she’s done with sulking, longing and dancing around with Lexa, memories of their morning still fresh in Clarke’s mind and all she wants is to move forward to make of those memories a constant in her life.

_“Okay, one date then, but for now I would like to take a shower and get some sleep.”_

Lexa says shyly as she feels the exhaustion of the day taking over her and Clarke nods as she leans in and places a chaste kiss on the brunette’s cheek.

_“Of course. I’ll be waiting in the bedroom.”_

Clarke says and Lexa looks at her as if to make sure that the blonde really wants her in the bed with her, as Clarke gets up from the couch she lingers a while longer holding one of Lexa’s hands in her own. As she lets go of Lexa’s hand slowly slipping her fingers over Lexa’s skin Clarke flashes a soft gentle smile and Lexa sighs as if to assuage Lexa’s previous doubts about the bed arrangement.

The detective takes a quick shower to wash off the scent of the hospital from her body that she could swear was glued to her skin still. After leaving the shower she blow-dries her hair and puts some pajamas on and walks into her bedroom to see Clarke sitting on the bed, glasses on and a book in her lap. Lexa can’t help but stare at the domesticity of it all, it has been weeks since she last saw Clarke like that, at ease and wearing glasses and just like the first time the detective is still surprised to see the blonde wearing reading glasses.

_“Do you want to have something to eat? Did you even have dinner?”_

Clarke asks, noticing Lexa’s presence as her gaze is pulled up to the detective like a magnet and Lexa nods as she walks over to the bed and sits down too.

_“We had take-out. What are you reading?”_

Lexa asks with keen interest and Clarke smiles as she hands the book over for the detective to see as she takes her glasses off. The detective takes the book to see it’s one of her own collection, To Kill a Mockingbird, one of Lexa’s favorites and she smiles at Clarke as the blonde takes the book back and places it onto the bedside table along with her wristwatch and her phone.

When the lights are out Lexa listens attentively to the soothing breathing of the blonde, she accepts Clarke's arm around her abdomen and closes her eyes too. A kiss on the corner of Lexa’s lips, a soft arm around her middle and the promise of better communication along with a date in the future makes Lexa inhale deeply with a smile. Baby steps, she tells herself, but the truth is that Lexa is more than ready to move forward with Clarke by her side.

**

Roan wakes up to the sound of his alarm and blinks a couple of times looking around, the man stretches his muscles while still in the bed but eventually when the alarm sounds a second time he realizes that he can’t lie there forever. The man gets up and checks the hours, he still has some time before he needs to be at the station and he decides to make a quick breakfast as he grabs his phone and walks towards the kitchen. Roan sets his phone down and starts up preparing his first meal of the day. His phone beeps with an incoming message and Roan picks it up to see a message from Clarke.

**Clarke G:** Are you up for a training session?

The man reads Clarke’s message and smiles, although he assumed that with Lexa back the blonde would stop training with him he is happy to know his assumptions were wrong.

**King Roan:** Sure princess, do you want me to pick you up from Lexa’s?

 **Clarke G:** If you don’t mind that would be great.

Clarke’s reply comes faster than he thought and Roan narrows his eyes, knowing that Clarke is staying with Lexa he would assume that Clarke would ask Lexa for a ride or something.

**King Roan:** Is Lexa coming too?

He asks just to see how it goes and Clarke’s reply takes a few minutes to come but eventually does with an explanation.

**Clarke G:** No, she left already and she has no idea that I’m training with you.

The man smiles with a shake of his head but sends Clarke a message to let her know that in about half an hour he will be at the detective’s place to pick her up.

Within the promised time Roan stops in front of Lexa’s building and texts Clarke to let her know he is there. A couple of minutes later the blonde walks out of the building and climbs into the car smiling at Roan gently.

_“I didn’t think you would keep up with our sessions now that Lexa is back.”_

The detective comments lightly as he re-starts his car and starts driving off in the direction of the gym, Clarke shrugs slightly but remains silent and Roan looks at her out of the corner of his eyes.

_“I assume you know what happened to Pike?”_

The man asks and Clarke sighs with a concerned nod as she fidgets with her hands in her lap.

_“Yeah, Lexa told me yesterday when she got home.”_

The blonde reporter says and Roan stops the car at a red light and looks carefully at Clarke weighing down his words so as to not make the blonde more worried than she already is.

_“Look Clarke, I’m sure this must be scary for you but you’re safe at Lexa’s, no one will track you there and she has your best interests at heart you know that.”_

As the light turns green Roan puts his foot on the gas and Clarke sighs as she thinks over everything that has happened since the courthouse. At Roan’s words, Clarke can’t help but wonder if the man knows of the progress she and Lexa have made.

_“It’s not that I mind staying at Lexa’s, I mean especially now that we’re finally coming to terms about what happened in the past. It’s just my whole life and routine seems to have changed drastically, I can’t go to work and now Lexa thinks I shouldn’t even go alone to the same places I used to anymore”_

The blonde comments dejectedly and Roan nods as he makes a turn in the direction of the gym, the traffic flowing easily in the early hours of the morning and a soft warm sun shining over the streets of Boston.

_“I’m happy to hear about you and Lexa making amends, and I don’t want to assume that I know how you feel, but Lexa isn’t wrong, Dax or whoever is targeting you knows a lot about you, knows where you work and where you live, it’s just a precaution to assume that they know where you have your expresso in the morning or where you and Octavia go for lunch when you’re at Arkadia.”_

Roan says gently as he parks his car and Clarke nods, Lexa had said the same thing in the morning before she left, the blonde wasn’t sure where Lexa was going and even though they have been getting closer it didn’t feel right to ask her. She left a note on the fridge to let her know she was out too just in case Lexa got back before going to work.

With the car neatly parked and locked Roan and Clarke walk towards the gym with Roan with his keys in his hand. After opening the door the man leads Clarke inside and they place their bags down, the detective turns the water heater on and comes back shortly to see Clarke already stretching up her muscles while doing a bit of a warm-up.

Times goes by fast once they start their familiar routine with Clarke proving to have made a lot of progress not just on her strength but also on her reflexes that have now grown faster and more precise. They get so immersed in their training session that they don’t even notice that someone is staring at them with a curious expression on their face.

_“So this is what you have been up to!”_

The voice echoes around the gym making Clarke and Roan stop in their tracks and look down at the new presence.

_“Lex?”_

Clarke asks surprised to see Lexa there and the detective smiles softly at them taking another step towards the boxing ring.

_“I was on my way here when I realized that I forgot my phone and when I got home you weren’t there. You left me a note telling me you were out but I must say of all the places I never thought I would find you here.”_

The detective says with a small smile playing on her lips and Roan smiles as he moves to the border of the ring and jumps down.

_“Your princess here has been doing some exercises, she’s quite good actually.”_

Roan says and flashing a proud smile at Clarke over his shoulder and at the man’s satisfied grin Clarke rolls her eyes but follows him out of the ring.

_“I assume that the changes made around here are the result of your partnership.”_

Lexa says looking at Clarke with something that the blonde can’t quite place and Roan nods as he gestures around.

_“Yeah, I must admit her help was greatly appreciated, this space looks different, and if her plans go as we expect it might even get better.”_

_“What plans?”_

Lexa asks curiously and Roan shrugs with a playful smile on his lips.

_“That’s a surprise. Clarke, I'm heading to the showers. Do you need me to give you a ride home?”_

The man asks and Clarke shakes her head, Roan is about to argue when Lexa nods at him as to let him know that she will take care of it and Roan smiles as he waves goodbye to the two women.

_“You seem to be doing pretty well with Roan. I hope he is not pushing you too hard.”_

Lexa says as she sits down on the bench with Clarke and the blonde smiles after taking a sip from her water bottle.

_“No he’s fine. I actually enjoy working with him.”_

_“Sooo, since you’re working out is there any chance of me getting you to come running with me in the mornings?”_

Lexa asks with a playful smile and Clarke snorts and shakes her head.

_“Waking up at the crack of dawn to run? No way.”_

The blonde replies easily and with a playful smile and Lexa places one hand over her heart in mock hurt.

_“Wow, you wound me Griffin, and here I thought I was your favorite detective of the station.”_

Lexa says and Clarke chuckles patting the brunette’s knee with a genuine smile and a glint in her eyes.

_“You might even be my favorite detective in all Boston and yet I won’t pick you over a warm and cozy bed in the morning.”_

Clarke says and Lexa shakes her head with a smile of her own as she checks her wristwatch and then gets up from the bench holding out a hand for Clarke to take.

_“Come on, I’ll take you home.”_

_“Aren’t you going to train?”_

Clarke inquires softly with one raised eyebrow and Lexa shrugs.

_“I already lost track of time having to go back home to pick up my phone, better to forgo my work-out session, and just take you home instead.”_

_“No, that will make you be late for work. I will take the bus.”_

Clarke says and Lexa checks her wristwatch once more and sighs the blonde is right considering that the traffic in the morning rush, then takes the keys of her car from the pocket of her leather jacket.

_“Here, take my car, I’m sure Lincoln can give me a ride home at the end of the day.”_

_“Wow, you’re letting me drive Kenzi?”_

_“What can I say, I already let Raven drive it and between the two of you, you’re still my favorite, just don’t tell Raven or she’ll get jealous.”_

Lexa says with a wink and Clarke shakes her head with a smile as she gets up from the couch and places a chaste kiss on the brunette’s cheek grabbing the keys in the process.

_“I’ll text you when I get home.”_

_“Okay, oh, and Clarke?”_

_“Yeah?”_

_“You can invite Octavia to the apartment if you want to. I don’t want you to feel like you’re a prisoner there, and if you go out make sure you’re always in public spaces with crowded people.”_

_“I’ll call her then and don’t worry; I’m just thinking about swinging by the hospital to work with the kids for a bit, I’ll ask O to come with me.”_

With a nod, Lexa watches as Clarke puts her things in the duffel bag and starts to walk in the direction of the door. Lexa decides to wait for Roan and she doesn’t need to wait much longer for her partner to come out of the showers fully dressed for the day, his badge and gun already clipped at his waist and his damp hair falling in his eyes having grown longer in the last few weeks.

_“Where’s Clarke?”_

_“She took my car. Now can you tell me what the surprise that you have about the gym is?”_

Lexa asks and Roan laughs at her curiosity, he shakes his head as they step out of the building after Roan had made sure everything is in order to close the space.

_“If I told you it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore wouldn’t it? Now let’s walk to the station before Luna throws a search party.”_

The man says good-naturedly and Lexa chuckles with a nod.

**

The morning has been quiet and Clarke decided to do some work, obviously, the news about the death of the judge responsible for Nia’s case leaked pretty fast and Clarke was still inside Lexa’s car when Jaha called her to ask her if she was thinking about writing about it. The blonde had said that she would write an article about the case and would send it over for him to read it first. The man easily agreed to Clarke’s surprise and they scheduled a conference call with Octavia and Monroe for the end of the morning.

Clarke finds herself by the end of the morning nestled on the comfy couch in Lexa’s living room and typing the last words of her article when the phone beeps with a text. The blonde looks at the screen to see a message from the younger Blake telling her that she is at the building’s door. Perking up at the visit Clarke quickly walks over to the door opening it and pressing the button to let Octavia up.

The blonde is more than happy to have Octavia there, not just because working alone from home is boring but especially because she knows Lexa is very private, as far as the blonde remembers the detective never had anyone home. Lexa allowing Octavia to come to her home just shows how much she cares and trusts Clarke, a trust that Clarke wants to make sure is worthy and reciprocated.

A couple of minutes later Octavia walks in and hugs Clarke before taking off her shoes and blazer. The brunette looks around and her eyes linger on the scented candles spread around the living room.

_“Wow, is Lexa thinking of burning this place down?”_

The reporter comments lightly and Clarke shakes her head as she prepares tea for the both of them.

_“Lexa has a thing for candles, I find it endearing.”_

The blonde replies and Octavia rolls her eyes as she leans on the kitchen counter with a fond smile.

_“Damn, you really got it bad.”_

_“You’re one to talk considering that you talk to Lincoln’s kitten as if he was a baby.”_

Clarke replies easily and Octavia nods with a chuckle. They check the time to see how long they have before calling Jaha and walk to the living room.

_“Lexa could really use your artistic skills to decorate this place.”_

Octavia says, taking notice of the lack of vibrant colors in the house and Clarke shrugs having got used to the minimalist decoration of the broody detective’s house.

_“So I suppose you already know what happened to Pike?”_

Clarke asks taking a sip from her tea and Octavia nods as she places her mug on the coffee table and leans back on the couch taking notice of how comfortable it is.

_“Lincoln told me yesterday when he came home. Are you okay?”_

Octavia inquires, noticing the slight tension coming from Clarke, and the blonde shrugs a shadow of apprehension clouding her face as she closes her eyes, inhaling deeply through her nose and then exhaling through her mouth.

_“This feels real now, I mean I know that I got lucky the other two times I was targeted but now he managed to really kill someone and I can’t help but feel the tension of it all. I was thinking about going to the hospital to play with the kids for a bit to take my mind off things. You want to come?”_

_“Sure, it will be a welcome distraction.”_

The younger Blake says and Clarke smiles as she picks up her notebook and looks at Octavia.

_“I wrote a piece about it and I need to send it over to Jaha so he can read it, I’m going to email it to you too.”_

Clarke says as she places her notebook on the couch and picks up her laptop to add the final touches and send the article to the chief editor and Octavia. While they wait for the man to give them a call Octavia reads Clarke’s article and goes over some details with her.

_“This still feels shady, I mean I know that Luna told us that Nia was targeted too and we know that she ended up in the hospital after the attack on the courthouse but I don’t know, despite the fact that Dax was convicted by Pike, I still think that Nia is the person who will benefit the most from his death.”_

Octavia says after some time and after reading Clarke’s article and the blonde nods at her words as she places her notebook on the coffee table. 

_“Do you think someone else is calling the shots here too? And that Dax is just a puppet?”_

The blonde asks as she looks carefully at Octavia, this idea has been on her mind for some time, she hasn’t spoken to Lexa about it yet but she definitely feels like Dax couldn’t pull all this off by himself.

_“I’m not going to lie, I didn’t see it at first, but when you think about it’s not a too far-fetched theory, I mean, you have Richard Thompson, he worked for Nia, you have Pike, a known judge for being strict and with a heavy sense of justice, you have us both testifying at Nia’s trial. It’s too many coincidences; the only piece that doesn’t quite fit here is Dax.”_

The brunette reporter says and Clarke nods as she takes another sip of her tea and she thinks about her partner’s words.

_“Even if we take Nia out of the equation there’s a lot of people that had business with her, taking Nia down would maybe help them take her place or maybe someone is trying to save her to get in her good graces.”_

Clarke says at the same time her phone beeps with a notification from Jaha and Clarke places the laptop in the right position for the two of them to be able to speak with Jaha and Monroe and go over the tasks they have for the upcoming days. Granted that both reporters miss being at Arkadia and out pursuing sources but at least they are still able to work. And if Octavia misses being outside taking photos and recording moments, she doesn’t complain about it much and Clarke is grateful for it.

**

The morning has been a quiet affair so far and Lexa is at her desk going over the information they have so far, Lincoln is still doing the autopsy on the judge and Raven and Fox are narrowing down the shops where Dax could have bought some of the things he used on his devices. However, even if they know where to look in the city, there are still too many shops in Boston. Anya waltzes over Lexa’s desk, steals a cookie from her and continues her walk to the board with the most important information about the case written on it.

_“Hey.”_

Lexa protests and Anya just smirks with a shrug.

_“Sharing is caring kiddo. Alright, listen up for a moment.”_

Anya says to get the attention of the rest of the team and Lexa narrows her eyes at her friend but remains silent.

_“With the Judge’s murder, we need to start thinking outside of the box. Besides our guy Dax, who else would benefit from the Pike’s death?”_

Anya asks and Miller looks over at Roan carefully and then clears his throat.

_“Nia would be the person who would benefit the most from it.”_

The man says as soft as he can and Roan looks at him but remains silent as Anya nods at Miller’s answer.

_“Exactly, but she has been targeted too, we found the letters she got in her house and she was put in the hospital. So putting Nia aside we all know that she had power all over the city, she made friends and foes.”_

Anya says and Roan snorts as he looks at the board with his mother’s picture next to Clarke’s and then at Anya.

_“I reckon that my mother has a long list of enemies, and she’s not saying shit to us to help us find any of them.”_

Roan says with a shake of his head and Anya nods with a careful expression.

_“That’s right too, but would they benefit from Pike’s death?”_

Anya inquires and Lexa narrows her eyes at her but then gets up from the chair rounds the desk and leans her hip on it looking from the team to Anya.

_“You’re thinking someone might be throwing us off by targeting Nia? Maybe someone that actually wants to keep her out of jail by the end of the trial?”_

Lexa asks and Anya nods as she looks at the board.

_“Look, Richard Thompson worked for Nia; we know that, and although we don’t know if she knew of his illegal activities they were connected. Dax might know about bombs but the rest, the videos and the information on the courthouse surveillance wasn’t him”_

_“So we need to look at Nia’s associates, the ones who might want to save her, and were privy to the knowledge on the courthouse.”_

Luna says and there’s a silence in the room as they take in this new possible theory, Echo gets up from her chair and leans on her desk much like Lexa’s done before as she looks at the board with keen eyes.

_“We can try and get all the information the FBI has on the case but maybe we could talk to Clarke and Octavia again too, those two probably have more information on Nia’s activities and associates than we know.”_

_“Guys Monty has something for us.”_

Aden says as he walks into the Kru room and Anya sighs as she looks around to see the team getting ready to see whatever Monty has for them.

**

Monty is at his desk with a lollipop in his mouth and writing down some notes in his notebook when the team enters and Lexa notices as Aden picks up his own notebook and stays silent.

_“Okay, so I've been working on the videos that Illian sent us, I was trying to isolate the background sounds because I heard some static in the audio of the video. I was able to get something that might help us.”_

The Asian man says as he puts his lollipop in his mouth again, he rolls his chair to look at his laptop and types a few commands on the keyboard. A brief expectant silence follows his actions and Monty leans back in his chair pressing the play button.

_“Welcome to South Station, the next train is due to arrive in 5 minutes, please step away from the platform.”_

A woman's voice is heard and Echo looks proudly at Monty as she makes sense of what the man got from the video.

_“So wherever these videos were made it's near this train station.”_

Echo says and Monty nods as he stops the recording and looks at her.

_“It has to be really close because once you get only the background noise you can definitely hear the train passing by.”_

The Asian consultor says and Luna nods as she looks around.

_“Okay, so we have narrowed down the search area, Fox and Raven are about to send us a list of places where some of the materials used in the bombs placed on the courthouse can be bought and I want to cross-reference with shops nearby this station.”_

Luna says and Anya nods as she looks at Luna and then at Lexa as if expecting her to say something too.

_“Alright, meanwhile we can start looking for any renting contract under Dax’s name or his former partner. We have to check the names of their close associates too to make sure we don't let anything slip by us.”_

Lexa says and everyone nods in silence, aware of where she is going with her reasoning. After all, the house where Cage kept his victims was under his name, having inherited the house from his mother. Slowly everyone starts leaving the room but Luna stays behind and Lexa lingers in the doorway to see her best friend place a friendly hand on Monty’s shoulder.

_“That was great work, Monty, we're glad you decided to work with us.”_

Luna says gently and Monty flashes her genuinely happy grin at the praise. Lexa smiles too because she can see that everyone in the team likes and respects Luna, even Monty who hasn't been with them for long. Despite the differences between them all, they have a bond and everyone loves and respects each member in the Kru as family.

Thinking about the newest members of the Kru leads Lexa to wonder how Aden is doing and as Luna catches up with her, Lexa looks at her friend.

_“How is Aden doing so far?”_

The broody detective asks and Luna looks at Lexa to see her with genuine gentle curiosity in her eyes.

_“He's doing good, I mean obviously is still soon to tell but he has great chances of becoming a detective sooner than expected at least as soon as we have an official spot for him when he takes the detective’s exam.”_

_“That's great; he always wanted to be a part of the Kru.”_

Lexa says and Luna nods as they keep walking towards the common room of their team.

_“Bellamy hasn't been doing badly either. I mean considering the internal investigation he suffered just after a few weeks as a rookie he took it very well.”_

Luna says and Lexa nods as she thinks back to the conversations she had with the rookie.

_“Bellamy is resilient, as far as I know, he has always been like that, and he was wise enough to know something more was at the stake here; he saw that right after his first hearing with the IA.”_

Lexa says and Luna doesn’t doubt her, after all, Lexa had grown closer to Bellamy during that time.

_“This new theory, I think Anya might be right, I mean we’ve been thinking Nia was a target and that someone would want her out of the business but it makes a lot of sense if someone out there is pulling the strings to throw us off and trying to actually be saving Nia’s ass.”_

Luna says at the same time Raven texts her to tell her they have a list of places where Dax could have got some of the items he needed.

**

With the list provided by Raven and Fox and the area narrowed down by Monty the Kru is now ready to go out and try to find Dax. They are in the common room and Luna places the phone down and looks around at the team.

_“Alright listen up Kru.”_

Luna says as she gets up from the chair, her voice soft but with a commanding tone to it.

_“I just briefed the Chief that we're on our way. We have a list of the places where some of the items used on the bombs could have been possibly bought and I have Monty and Aden working on any surveillance footage in the South Station area. If any of us have any information about Dax’s whereabouts, I don't want any of you going out on your own. Dax is dangerous and possibly armed. Now keep your eyes open and be safe.”_

Luna says as she opens her drawer and pulls out her gun and badge. With a quick look around, she nods at Lexa and then the team makes their way out of the station. Luna and Lexa are teaming up, Roan is teaming up with Nathan and Echo and Anya will take another car.

Avoiding the streets with more traffic the team splits up to cover more ground. Luna is checking her list of stores and pointing Lexa in the direction to take. A half-hour passes before they park their car and look at their surroundings. Several shops are on the other side of the street and Luna nods as they look at the name of one of them.

_“Okay let's start.”_

Lexa says as they step outside and walk in the direction of the shop. As they walk out of the fourth shop Lexa shakes her head and lets out a frustrated sigh as she places her fingers on her temples. Roan and Anya have called them to let them know that they didn’t have luck in finding the shop Dax had bought what he needed to make the bombs.

_“We still have two more places to go; Dax has to have been in one of the shops left.”_

Luna says and Lexa nods although she's not entirely convinced of that. The two detectives walk in the direction of the shops and Lexa scratches the back of her neck in thought.

_“What if he sent our dead guy instead?”_

_“That's possible but so far none of the vendors have recognized any of the photos unless they were working with someone else, one of them must have bought what they needed from somewhere.”_

Luna replies as they walk through the door of one of the shops left on the list, the bell chiming announcing the new visitors. Lexa surveys the shop with keen interest and Luna strides forward in the direction of the counter.

_“Good morning ladies, what can I help you with?”_

A big man says in a thick Mexican accent and Luna looks at his large figure with an observant look.

_“Good morning, I'm detective Luna Rivers and that's my partner detective Woods.”_

Luna says pointing to the badge at her waist and the man smiles gently at them.

_“Detectives, I'm Paulo Torres, I'm the owner of this shop, is everything alright?”_

_“Yeah, we're looking for one of these folks here. We have reasons to believe one of them might have been here shopping for some items.”_

Luna then says placing two photos on the counter and Paulo looks at them with a frown but then nods.

_“Oh yes, I remember this one. He bought a large quantity of fertilizer. Gimme a sec.”_

The man says pointing to Dax’s photo as he moves to his computer and moves the mouse around.

_“Yes, that's the one, I remember him because he asked for a delivery, a shady guy that one, I asked if he had a farm judging by the amount of things he was buying but he told me to mind my own business. I still have the receipt with the delivery address. Let me print it for you detectives.”_

Paulo says gently and Luna nods as she looks at Lexa, they share a knowing look, after years on the job they have seen many people but Paulo seems to be a trustworthy citizen. The man then picks up the page and quickly reads it with a nod. He places the paper on the counter and looks at Luna as he points to the address written there.

_“I don't know if this helps but that's the address he gave me.”_

_“Did you deliver the items yourself?”_

Lexa asks walking closer to the counter and the man sighs ruefully scratching the back of his neck.

_“Sadly no, my son did it, I would call him but he is on the other side of town visiting his Abuelita.”_

Paulo says earnestly and Lexa nods surprised by the man’s gentle and caring actions despite his large stature.

_“Gracias Paulo, we already have what we need.”_

Luna says and the man grins at her words as Lexa raises one eyebrow at her friend. Once outside of the store Lexa looks curiously at Luna.

_“Since when do you speak Spanish?”_

The brunette asks and Luna chuckles as she shakes her head.

_“I don't, I just know a few words. I felt like it was a nice touch after all he did help us.”_

The curly-haired woman says with a smile and Lexa nods as they walk to the car and check the address. They call Roan and Anya for back up and decide to meet up near the address Paulo gave them. The train station is close to the pace where they are heading.

**

The sun is high in the sky when the Kru is outside the cars. Roan adjusts his bulletproof vest and looks around.

_“Is everyone ready?”_

The man asks and everyone nods as Luna takes a step further forward and looks around.

_“Okay, let's do this. Remember we have no idea what we will find in there so everyone keep your eyes open and be careful.”_

Luna says and the team nods as they look at the building. The big abandoned warehouse is one of the few decrepit buildings in the old part of the South Station area, the station itself in higher ground that leads to an impressive iron bridge and underneath it the building where the Kru is about to enter. They can hear the muffled sounds of the train above them and they are certain that this is the place where the videos were made. They split up in two teams to cover more ground and cover everyone's back. Anya, Roan, and Lexa will approach from the south entrance and Luna will go with Echo and Miller through the north side. Adjusting the radio Luna nods as they stealthy approach the large space with their guns drawn and alert eyes and ears.

They look around to check for any surveillance cameras on the building and make sure it is all clear. No one seems to be in sight and Luna nods at Miller as he kicks the door open and shouts to whoever might be inside.

_“Police department, we're coming in.”_

Nathan says and walks in as a rumbling noise is heard from a few feet further away.

_“I wouldn't do that if I was you.”_

Dax’s voice comes from somewhere and Nathan looks around to try and spot him.

_“You're outnumbered Dax, come with us, and no one needs to get hurt.”_

Miller says taking a few steps further inside with Luna behind him with one hand on the man’s shoulder to back him up, the space is large but poorly illuminated and the several things scattered around the space make it even harder to make sense of it. The curly-haired detective sees a shadow moving inside and tossing something in their direction.

_“Take cover.”_

Luna shouts as she hears a familiar click and jumps behind an old big machine as a smoke bomb explodes and the thick smoke clouds their vision making it hard to breathe and almost impossible to see.

_“Luna, at your ten o'clock!”_

Echo shouts as she strains her ears to hear the sound of heavy steps around them. Blindly Luna moves and aims the gun in the direction Echo told her. Before she has time to take a shot an explosion is heard from the south side of the building and Echo looks around. Luna crouches once again and Echo frowns as she lifts slightly to look around.

_“Anya? Lexa, Roan are you okay?”_

The FBI agent asks and she gets static as an answer.

_“Fuck. This. Guy. Has. This. Place. Wired.”_

Anya’s voice is heard over the radio between the gaps of the static sound and Luna fires two shots in the previous direction Echo told her. The sounds echo loudly through the warehouse and Echo peeks from her covered position to see another can being thrown in their general direction. Once more the smoke spreads through the area where they are taking cover and Luna shakes her head as a few more shots are fired.

_“This guy is playing with us. Don't move.”_

The curly-haired detective says and her voice is muffled by the sounds of debris falling and Roan’s loud grunt is heard. An explosion sounds soon after and Luna rises from her crouching position to see from where the sound came from.

_“Lexa, stay where you are.”_

Echo says quickly, assessing that the path the other team is trying to use to get inside is probably filled with explosives. A few shots are fired in Echo’s direction and the woman crouches quickly to avoid them. As the smoke fades slightly away Luna coughs and peeks again aiming her gun. She sees a shadow between boxes and old machinery and takes a chance firing four shots.

The sound lingers echoing through the place and then silence envelopes them. Luna looks at Miller placing one finger over her mouth to tell him to keep quiet and the man nods. With quick hand gestures, they communicate taking position to fire a few more rounds of bullets. At Luna’s nod, the three of them rise slightly from their position and aim their guns. Too many shots are fired for them to keep count of the bullets and Luna groans and falls onto her back.

_“Fuck.”_

The woman says and Echo looks at her worriedly. Lexa, Roan, and Anya walk carefully through the door Miller kicked off of its hinges earlier and Lexa's eyes widen at Luna’s body on the ground.

_“He's getting away.”_

Anya says looking at a man in dark clothes climbing a ladder and making his escape through one of the windows on the upper floor. Having no more ammunition the only option for Dax is to use his knowledge of the surroundings to make a quick run away. Lexa looks around and nods at Miller and Roan.

_“Go after him, I'll stay with Luna.”_

At Lexa commanding voice Roan, Miller, and Anya sprint towards the direction where the man was last seen. The warehouse is almost like a maze, the stairs are blocked and the only way up is the ladder that Dax used and hurries to pull away. Looking around Roan points to a set of boxes and Anya nods. The poor illumination of the place only makes it harder for them to pursue the suspect.

Lexa grabs Luna’s vest and with Echo’s help they drag the woman out of the building. Echo is the first one to notice the dark red blood seeping through the fabric of Luna’s flannel shirt. Quickly taking off her jacket Echo rips her own sleeve and crouches next to Luna.

_“Hey, you're okay. It's just a scratch.”_

The FBI agent says and Luna swallows down the lump in her throat.

_“Fuck. This. Stings.”_

The curly-haired detective says between gasps and Lexa looks at her noticing the reason why Luna’s breath is short and labored.

_“Let's get this out of you.”_

Lexa says as Luna follows her gaze and sees a shining piece of metal in her chest.

_“Fuck that was close.”_

Echo says as she watches Luna’s trembling hand pick up the still warm piece of metal and throw it away.

_“I'm good, I'm good. It was just a scare.”_

Luna says not sure if she's trying to reassure her friends or herself and Roan catches up with them leaning down slightly and placing his hands on his knees to take deep breaths.

_“We fucking lost him.”_

The man says at the same time Anya and Miller return. Anya is already calling up for backup and describing Dax so the squad cars can look out for him in the streets.

_“Luna, fuck you need to go to the hospital.”_

Roan says, taking in the pale face of his partner and Luna shakes her head.

_“It's just a scratch.”_

The woman says and Lexa shakes her head.

_“I'll take her. Anya, you guys stay here. Call the bomb squad and the forensics; we need this place checked for any devices. Dax left in a hurry; if he was based here we might find something useful.”_

Lexa says as she helps Luna get up from the ground and the woman winces slightly at the effort. Echo nods at Lexa as she helps Luna to one of the cars and Miller looks at Lexa carefully.

_“What about Raven?”_

Miller asks softly and Lexa sighs looking over her shoulder to see Luna chuckling slightly and swatting Echo’s hand away from her face, it’s clear that Echo is trying to tease Luna about something.

_“We need Raven focused here, and Luna is fine, I mean the bullet just hit her briefly. Let Luna decide when to call her.”_

Lexa says and Miller nods as he watches Lexa walking away, the man trusts Lexa’s wise judgment on this and he knows that they have a lot of work to do at the warehouse.

**

The ride to the hospital is made with the sirens of the car blasting and Luna complaining about how unnecessary it all is. Even though it was luckily just a scratch Lexa makes a point of getting to the hospital as fast as she can.

_“You know I could be patched up at the station.”_

Luna says with a grunt and Lexa shakes her head.

_“Your wound needs cleaning and if your chest hurts you need to get that checked too.”_

Lexa says wisely and Luna groans displeased but doesn't fight, she knows better than to argue with Lexa, despite the scare she feels a lot better. Luna is sure that her chest will be sore but Dax’s bullets were fired from afar and luckily with all the smoke and commotion she didn’t get hit very hard.

_“Dax was definitely more prepared than we assumed he would be.”_

Luna says as the hospital comes into view and Lexa signals to turn into the parking lot.

_“He’s methodical, regardless of him working alone or not he was the only one in the warehouse.”_

Lexa says as she parks the Kru car and rushes out of the driving seat to help Luna, the curly-haired detective waves her off claiming that she can walk just fine and soon after they are entering the emergency room of the hospital and watch the commotion in the place. One male security guard dressed in a uniform brown and yellow spots their badges and immediately leads them to a room telling them he would send someone to check on Luna.

Luna snorts displeased with being forced to be at the hospital but settles on the bed waiting for someone to attend her wound even though she guesses it might take a while considering the commotion she noticed in the emergency room.

**

Clarke and Octavia walk out of the pediatric wing with smiles on their faces and a light heart.

_“I never thought this would be so much fun.”_

Octavia says looking through some of the photos she took and Clarke smiles at her.

_“Kids always make you smile; I mean did you see their happiness when you let them take some photos?”_

Clarke says and Octavia smiles turning off her camera and looking at Clarke.

_“Do you want to grab something to eat? I reckon that a nice meal would be welcome right now.”_

_“Yeah sure.”_

Clarke replies as they wander through the corridors of the hospital leading them to the emergency area of the hospital. Clarke stops and looks at a familiar face a few feet away talking to a nurse. The blonde smiles and walks over as the woman spots her and smiles brightly at her waving goodbye to the nurse and walking up to Clarke.

_“Clarke! What a coincidence to see you here!”_

_“Yeah, I was just thinking the same. What are you doing here?”_

The blonde reporter asks taking in the outfit of the other woman as Octavia looks quizzically at both of them.

_“Just a follow-up consult. And you?”_

_“I came to play with the kids for a bit. Oh, by the way, this is my friend Octavia, O this is Brett.”_

Clarke says making the formal introduction and Octavia looks between the two of them puzzled for a second but then nods. The woman's name is enough for the younger Blake to know exactly who she is, they shake hands and Clarke looks carefully at the paramedic.

_“Is everything going alright with your recovery?”_

The blonde asks carefully after all it has been weeks since she last saw Brett.

_“Yeah, so far the prognosis looks good, I'm still regaining the full mobility of my shoulder but the doctors believe that in three more months I'll be able to be working in the ambulance again. I'm not gonna lie, I miss it. Being at the call operations center is good but I was made to be outside.”_

Brett gestures with one hand to the open space outside the hospital building and Clarke smiles. The paramedic has come a long way since the shooting. She was in critical condition, the doctors had put her in an induced coma for a few days and when Clarke was able she would pay her a visit, she would talk to Brett, and although she will never know if Brett remembers any of it she always felt better doing so.

Her mother had told her that she helped save Brett’s life trying to stop the bleeding after she was shot and when the paramedic woke up Clarke was the first person she saw. The two blondes formed a bond, neither of them would call it a friendship but they were definitely connected by the tragic events.

A few feet away a commotion seems to be occurring and at the raised voices Clarke looks up to see two familiar brunettes talking or more so one shouting as the other looks apologetically at her.

_“What the fuck were you thinking Lexa? My girlfriend was shot and instead of telling me that you sent me to work?”_

Clarke strides forward as she sees Raven jabbing one finger at Lexa's chest, Brett and Octavia share an uncertain look but follow the blonde reporter nonetheless.

_“Ray, what's going on?”_

Clarke asks placing herself in between Raven and Lexa as if to shield the detective and Raven looks surprised to see her friend there. She groans and looks over Clarke's shoulder, glaring at Lexa.

_“What's going on? My girlfriend was shot and your girlfriend didn't think I should have been told about it. I only found out because I overheard Echo and Anya talking about it.”_

Raven says clearly upset and Clarke's eyes widen in concern the label Raven used about her relationship with the broody detective quickly forgotten for the moment as she turns around to look inquisitively at Lexa.

_“Luna was shot? Is she okay?”_

_“I'm fine; you guys don't need to make a fuss over a scratch.”_

Luna says opening the door of the room she was in and Raven looks at her but Luna looks over at Lexa and shakes her head.

_“Can we go now? I've been sitting on that bed for an eternity and no one has come to check on me.”_

The curly-haired detective says with frustration dripping in her voice and Brett looks at her and notices the sleeve of her flannel with dried blood on it.

_“I can help.”_

The paramedic says and Raven looks at her, still clearly in a bad temper.

_“And who the fuck are you?”_

The Latina asks, frustration lacing her voice and Lexa glares at her, and then she looks at Brett with a softer expression.

_“Brett is a paramedic. I'm sure she can help.”_

The brunette says and her face is a mix of emotions, regret, sadness, relief and Raven looks puzzled for a second but then seems to connect the dots as she thinks why the name sounds so familiar. With a nod from Raven, Brett looks over at Luna and walks inside the room.

_“I'll need you to take your shirt off.”_

Brett says gently and Luna smirks slightly.

_“Straight to the point, I like that.”_

The detective says winking at Brett with a playful smile as Raven crosses her arms glaring at her girlfriend.

_“I don't know if you're trying to make me feel calm or trying to piss me off more.”_

The Latina says but walks closer to Luna helping her out of her flannel shirt and Luna looks softly at her.

_"Lexa had to make a decision babe, if I were in her shoes I would have made the same choice. This is nothing serious.”_

Luna says squeezing Raven's hand as Brett starts to clean up the wound and as usual the curly-haired detective manages to calm down her girlfriend. The Latina looks up at Lexa with a glare but then smirks at her.

_“I'm still mad at you Lexa, so you better be up early tomorrow to help me carry all the stuff I have to move to Luna’s because I'm sure as hell won't let my girlfriend do anything that requires effort for the next few days.”_

The Latina says and Lexa nods solemnly as Brett looks up at Luna as she gets a few things from the room.

_“This might sting a little bit, the cut is not deep but I have to stitch it up.”_

The blonde paramedic says and Luna nods as Lexa looks at her.

_“It's nice to see you fully recovered.”_

Lexa says awkwardly and Brett smiles at her, the two of them saw each once after all that happened and although Lexa felt responsible for what happened to Brett, the paramedic never saw it that way and even stopped Lexa from trying to apologize for it.

_“I can say the same; it's nice to see you, although I reckon that this wasn't exactly the place where I would like to see any of you.”_

Brett says lightly and Lexa nods at the same time a nurse comes in to see what's happening. After some berating from the male nurse, everything settles down, and soon after Luna is patched up and ready to leave the hospital.

The women go their separate ways after a brief call from Indra to check on Luna and Lexa and to tell them to meet her at the station as soon as possible to work on their reports and to discuss what to do in the next few days.

**

By the time Lexa arrives at her apartment, she is completely drained from the day. The brunette unlocks the door to see Clarke sitting cross-legged on the couch wearing a baby blue dress, high heels, and wearing light makeup. The blonde smiles when Lexa walks in the room, and gets up to greet her with a kiss on the cheek and checking Lexa as if to make sure she was all in one piece.

_“Are you going somewhere?”_

Lexa asks carefully, eyeing the blonde’s outfit once more appraisingly and Clarke smirks with a nod as she checks the time on her wristwatch.

_“We are going out.”_

The blonde proclaims putting an emphasis on the “we” and Lexa narrows her eyes at her.

_“Clarke, I had a really long day.”_

_“I know, I was there to see a small part of it and that’s exactly why I’m taking you out, you promised me a date and it’s Friday so it’s time to enjoy ourselves.”_

_“A date?”_

Lexa asks surprised and Clarke nods as she grabs her purse from the couch and opens it to pull out an envelope and offers it for Lexa to take and look at its contents.

_“You got tickets to the Tedeschi Trucks Band concert? I thought they were sold out months ago!”_

Lexa exclaims feeling all of the sudden a lot less tired and not really quite believing what she’s seeing and she looks from the two tickets in her own hands to Clarke’s blue ocean eyes shining at pleasant surprised look on Lexa’s face. The blonde woman smiles broadly at her.

_“I have my sources, and I know for a fact that you love them.”_

_“Oh, do you?”_

Lexa asks with a raised eyebrow and Clarke blushes slightly but nods.

_“I might have looked at the playlist on your MP3 player; I mean who still uses those? Now, the concert is due to start at 9 pm so you can take a shower and get changed and we can eat something at the concert.”_

Lexa can’t quite hide the excitement she’s feeling; she has been wanting to see this band for some time now but usually the tickets sell out so fast that renders Lexa incapable of preparing so far ahead. The brunette smiles at Clarke and walks into the bathroom to take a needed shower and get herself ready for her first date with Clarke after months.

As Clarke waits for Lexa to shower and get dressed she can’t quite stop the giddy feeling in her chest, she’s taking Lexa on a date and she knows for sure that she managed to surprise the detective with something she likes very much. It wasn’t news for Clarke the passion Lexa has for music, she picked that up right away since the first time she was in Lexa’s car, by the way the brunette hummed at the music and tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. In time Clarke noticed that Lexa always turns on the dial when she gets inside the car to fill the space with melodic sounds from the radio station, and she has a huge list of the band’s songs on her playlist and Clarke even saw two vinyl discs from them in the brunette’s music collection.

Now Clarke was surprised to see that the detective had an MP3 player, having gotten used to using other platforms but the model was a recent one from Sony and Clarke has to admit that it looked rather elegant.

Clarke is lost in her musings when Lexa walks up to her, dressed in black ripped jeans, a white button shirt with the two top buttons open revealing her olive skin on the neck and chest, a leather jacket and boots, and eyeliner with a light makeup to complete her outfit. She’s definitely rocking the badass rock outfit and Clarke blushes as she thinks that maybe she’s overdressed.

_“Let’s go? I want a tasty hotdog.”_

Lexa says with the same excitement of a child with a new toy and Clarke smiles offering her arm for Lexa to take. They descend the stairs in silence and when they reach the building’s door Lexa opens it for Clarke as usual. The blonde smiles as they walk towards Lexa’s car; when Lexa unlocks and holds the passenger door open for Clarke she smiles raking her eyes over the blonde’s outfit and curves.

_“Clarke, I haven’t told you yet but you look beautiful in that dress.”_

The detective says as if she could sense that Clarke was a little self-conscious about her outfit and Clarke squeezes Lexa’s hand.

_“Thank you, you look amazing too.”_

The blonde says and Lexa snorts slightly but Clarke can’t shake the feeling that Lexa’s natural beauty fits her perfectly either she wears a dress, a tuxedo, or something more casual like the clothes she’s wearing at the moment.

**

_“Babe do you need anything? Another pillow? More tea?”_

Raven asks hovering around Luna and the detective chuckles slightly and shakes her head.

_“I need you to sit down with me so we can watch this useless crossover with Supergirl.”_

Luna says as she beckons Raven closer and the Latina sits down on the couch looking carefully at Luna.

_“You scared the shit out of me Luna, I can’t pretend as if nothing happened!”_

The Latina complains and Luna turns slightly in her position to take Raven’s hands in her own, the curly-haired detective scans Raven’s face with soft tender care and sighs.

_“I’m sorry, I really am, but nothing serious happened, I’m just sore. I know this is hard for you but it comes with the job. Even when we’re prepared and cautious some things can always go wrong. I trust you to understand that.”_

The detective says earnestly and Raven nods with a rueful sigh as she leans in to place a chaste kiss on Luna’s plump lips.

_“I know… I know… I haven’t been working at the station for long but I know that you put your lives on the line every day if you need to, I respect that. It’s just… when I overheard Anya and Echo talking my blood ran cold in my veins, I know I shouldn’t have reacted so harshly with Lexa, but I was just mad, we’re moving in together and no one thought I deserved to know what happened.”_

Raven says with some lingering frustration and Luna nods understandingly at her.

_“Lexa didn’t purposely keep you in the dark, but you’re amazing in what you do and we needed you to be completely focused on your work at the warehouse.”_

_“I know, and we did find a bunch of stuff there, Fox and the others will go over it tomorrow and she promised to call me if she needs anything. That place was filled with traps though, it’s amazing that Roan didn’t go boom when he knocked the other door down.”_

Raven says wincing slightly at her words and Luna smiles, she had read the reports of the rest of the team and she’s grateful that no one got seriously injured in that warehouse. However, as the show starts she pushes those thoughts to the back of her mind and increases the volume of the TV.

_“Let’s watch this useless crossover shall we?”_

Luna asks teasingly and Raven huffs.

_“Firstly it’s not useless, it's all the Arrow-verse coming together for one big event, secondly you're gonna love Sarah Lance and Kate Kane and thirdly this is not like the other one that looked like a Glee reunion.”_

Raven says passionately and Luna snorts looking through the corner of her eyes at Raven.

_“I don’t watch any of the other shows because I don’t want to; the fact that CW makes me watch these crossovers just gets on my nerves.”_

_“I don’t know why I love you but I do.”_

Raven replies amused at Luna’s aggravated state over a simple TV show and Luna flashes her one wide grin.

_“You’re a genius so if you picked me that must mean something.”_

Luna says and Raven shakes her head but leans into Luna’s side making sure she’s not putting too much weight on the detective’s shoulder. Luna snuggles up to Raven and kisses the top of her head with a contented smile.

_“I love you too.”_

**

Clarke and Lexa are eating their hotdogs and drinking beer when the blonde looks at Lexa with a curious expression, even though she wants to know what happened and how Luna got shot she wants to make their night and date a moment free of work and worries.

_“So what can I expect from this almighty band you like so much?”_

Clarke asks and Lexa smirks slightly as she uses the napkin to wipe her lips clean.

_“Well, for starters a lot of good music, I’m sure you’ll like Susan’s raspy voice when she sings and you’re in for some of the best guitar solos you’ll ever hear provided by Dereck Trucks and obviously an amazing performance of Midnight in Harlem.”_

Lexa replies with a sparkling smile and even though Clarke doesn’t know much about the band she smiles too, for a moment she thinks about her father, he would have definitely got along with Lexa when it comes to music. They eat the rest of their meal in silence indulging in the moment of peace that they managed to have amidst the chaos of their lives.

More than two and half hours later Clarke and Lexa are entering the brunette’s apartment and Clarke is sure that she has had one of her best nights ever. Lexa enjoyed the concert singing along to some of the songs and Clarke has to admit the band is incredibly good. The blonde is quite certain that she has never seen Lexa acting so carefree, from the way she swayed to some of the songs to the way she shouted and whistled at the end of Dereck’s solos, Lexa was completely immersed in the music and her happiness was contagious.

Once inside the detective’s apartment, they take turns using the bathroom to wash their makeup off and get ready for bed. All the events of the day are catching up on Lexa as she yawns walking inside her bedroom and changing into pajamas. The brunette waits in the bed for Clarke to join her and soon after the blonde is climbing in the bed with a soft smile. The two of them have more or less a silent agreement on sharing the bed.

_“Thank you for this night.”_

Lexa says softly and Clarke nods as she leans over to kiss the brunette’s cheek.

_“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”_

The blonde says genuinely and Lexa runs her thumb over the blonde’s cheek, something flashes across her eyes and Clarke’s heart skips a beat in anticipation but then Lexa seems to think better of it and places a soft kiss on Clarke's forehead.

“Good night Clarke.”

“Reshop Heda.”

The blonde replies easily and Lexa turns off the lights as her heart beats faster at the ancient language from Indra’s ancestors slipping out easily from Clarke’s lips. With her soul at peace after a night filled with good music and Clarke’s laughter Lexa feels ready to take on the world assured that whatever they endure in the future they will overcome it as long as they stay together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of action, a bit of fluff and some progress...  
> What do you guys think of it?  
> Let me know in the comments below and stay safe!


	11. Revelations and formal statements

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> Welcome back to another chapter, I apologize for the slight delay but this one gave me a bit of hard work.  
> As usual I wanna say thanks to my friend Jo for helping me out with this!  
> I also want to urge you to leave your comments and kudos, your love for this story fuels me to keep going!

**Chapter 11 – Revelations and formal statements**

_“Urgh, what do you have inside these boxes, Raven? Rocks?”_

Clarke asks with a groan as Luna moves to help her but Raven puts one hand on her shoulder to stop her with a shake of her head and Luna huffs displeased. The morning started with Lexa and Clarke entangled in each other again and being abruptly awakened with a call from Raven to Lexa to remind her that she should be on her way to the Latina’s place to help with the moving. Neither Clarke nor Lexa said anything about the fact that their bodies had sought each other during the night. They just got up in silence exchanging soft looks and getting dressed before leaving to help Raven move after a quick breakfast.

To Raven’s surprise not only Lexa showed up to help but she brought Clarke and soon after Bellamy also arrived with his sister in his truck. When the Latina asked them how they knew about her moving plans Octavia pointed at Clarke and Bellamy told her that Luna asked for his help and his truck in case her stuff wouldn’t fit in Raven’s jeep. The Latina was ecstatic to say the least, she never doubted her friends’ love for her but she was quite surprised to see them so happy to help her, the best part of it all was knowing that every single one of them cared for Luna just the same as they did for her and even Murphy had texted her to wish her good luck in the new chapter of her life.

_“Nah, you won’t do a thing baby, I’m sure Clarke can manage this box, it’s just books princess it will be good for your arms. It gives you strength to be more proactive with your hands.”_

Raven says with a smirk, winking at Clarke, and the blonde blushes slightly as she rolls her eyes and Luna chuckles at her girlfriend’s lewd joke.

_“Here, I’ll take that one for you.”_

Lexa says softly as she takes the box from Clarke with ease and Raven rolls her eyes but smirks at them both.

_“Fine, let Lexa carry the box either way you still win princess.”_

The Latina says as Bellamy comes to pick up another box from the entrance of the building and looks at Clarke’s flustered face.

_“I don’t even want to know.”_

The man says and Raven bursts into laughter as she picks up a few bags to carry and Clarke does the same.

The morning goes by smoothly with everyone helping, first they moved the boxes and bags from Raven’s apartment to the building’s entrance hall, and then into both cars. She didn’t have many things, she was selling some of her furniture and despite telling the landlord she was moving that Saturday she had to renegotiate for a week longer to be able to manage the removal of the rest of her stuff as she was still waiting for the buyers to pick up their new items. The Latina wasn’t surprised when her landlord told her to take the time she needed, after all, he always loved Raven, she was always helpful and he wanted to repay in kind.

Everything is more or less settled when Raven walks out of the building’s hall to see Clarke resting on the stairs on the front door. The Latina frowns slightly as she sits down and looks up at Clarke.

_“Hey, are you sure you want to go through Finn’s stuff tomorrow? I mean we can rent a storage place for it if you don't feel like it.”_

Raven says as the sun shines in the sky and Clarke looks at her.

_“No, I reckon that it's time we both close that door in our lives.”_

The blonde replies softly and Raven looks at her as if to make sure that Clarke is telling the truth. Apart from her furniture and few more other things the only remaining items that are yet to be sorted through are the things Clarke and Raven kept from Finn when he died and when they became close. The Latina taking in Clarke’s pensive expression decides to see if the reason why she’s alone on the stairs is because Clarke is torn about Finn’s stuff.

_“Look Clarke, I don't want you to think I'm erasing him from our lives, I… I understand if you're not ready…”_

The Latina says earnestly and Clarke smiles with a shake of her head.

_“I'm ready, Finn will always be a part of our past but we have moved on. I think most of the stuff is his old school books and clothes, I think we can probably offer those to someone in need.”_

The blonde says with a smile and Raven nods as they sit in silence for a few moments and Clarke looks ahead to see Luna with Lexa, Bellamy, and Octavia talking and laughing.

_“I'm really happy for you Ray. Luna, she's good for you, but moving in with her is a big step, you're sure it is the right one?”_

The blonde inquires softly and Raven smiles at the gentle and caring tone in her friend’s voice, always looking up for everyone as usual.

_“I'm sure, I love her Clarke and I can't wait to show her how much every day.”_

Raven says and Clarke looks at her with a happy smile as her gaze turns towards their friends and lands on Lexa.

_“Yeah, I understand that feeling.”_

The blonde says and Raven leans into her friend’s shoulder grabbing Clarke's hand and sighing softly.

_“You really love her don't you?”_

Raven asks softly, mostly certain that she knows the answer already and Clarke sighs, she hasn't said those three words to Lexa yet but she has said them before.

_**A little over 3 months ago**_

_As Clarke walks out of the hospital room she feels a few pairs of eyes looking at her worriedly, Abby looks at her daughter and feels her own heart clench with pain. However Clarke shakes her head, she doesn't want anyone's pity right now all she wants is time to breathe, to hate Lexa after telling her that they were a mistake._

_The blonde strides further through the corridors as Niylah comes back to check on Lexa and looks apprehensively at Clarke. Abby and Bellamy are right behind her but Clarke doesn't really want to wait for them._

_“Hey Clarke, what's going on?”_

_Niylah asks and Clarke looks up at her with teary eyes._

_“Is Lexa permanently paralyzed?”_

_Clarke asks bluntly and Niylah’s eyes widen at the question, she has heard that the detective was shot trying to save Clarke and another person and she can only assume that the news of Lexa's actual condition was too overwhelming for the blonde reporter._

_“I… I don't know what to tell you…”_

_Niylah says not sure of what she can divulge about Lexa's medical condition and Clarke sniffs taking Niylah’s answer as the worst scenario possible and walks away as Abby starts running after her._

_“Honey, hold on, please.”_

_Abby pleads as Bellamy walks by Niylah and looks her up and down almost as if her brief interaction with the blonde was the sole reason for her outburst. Abby finally manages to catch up with Clarke grabbing her wrist and pushing her inside an empty on-call room as she nods to Bellamy to enter too. The man does so as he stands at the door to prevent anyone else from entering the room. Abby leads Clarke in silence towards one of the beds; making her sit down and kneels in front of her._

_“Clarke, sweetheart, I know this hurts now, but you'll feel better in the future.”_

_Abby says squeezing Clarke's hands and trying to assuage her daughter’s pain and the blonde shakes her head._

_“You don't understand mom, you can't understand. She's… She’s not walking and she told me we were a mistake.”_

_“Oh honey, you know it's not like that, it isn’t simply black and white. Lexa has been through a lot honey; we almost lost her, give her time. She… She will come to her senses. She's clearly reacting to the trauma.”_

_“What about me mom?”_

_Clarke says raising her voice and Abby looks at Bellamy, sharing a knowing look, Clarke needs this, she needs to shout and cry and be mad at Lexa._

_“I was there too; I was beaten up by that bastard… I…. I saw Brett getting shot and Lexa taking a bullet for me and now… Now she says we were a mistake? She can't do this to me, not now… Not when I need her…”_

_Clarke rambles in a loud and angry voice and Bellamy opens the door slightly to make sure that no one is listening to the conversation but then Clarke ends up brokenly and in a lower tone and the man closes the door once more. The blonde places her head in her hands and cries out in despair as Abby moves from her kneeling position to sit down on the mattress next to her daughter._

_“Shh, it's alright honey; I promise you that you will be alright.”_

_Abby says as her eyes tear up and she tries her best not to cry in front of her daughter. The doctor gently rubs circles on Clarke's back and Clarke sobs and hiccups into her mother's shoulder._

_“I loved her mom.”_

_Clarke confesses brokenly and Bellamy's eyes widen at Clarke’s admission; Abby shares a sad smile with him, both heartbroken for the blonde reporter._

_“It's okay, I know you do.”_

_The older Griffin says ignoring the past tense that Clarke used because she can see the bigger picture. Bellamy swallows down the lump in his throat and as Clarke's sobs start to slowly fade, he walks out of the room and strides further in the direction of Lexa's room, his own eyes prickling with tears upon seeing the suffering that Clarke is in._

_“Where are you going?”_

_Luna asks when she notices the man's look and places one hand on Bellamy's large shoulder and Bellamy yanks her hand off his shoulder._

_“I can't do this! I can't fucking bear to see my friend heartbroken like this and stand by and do nothing.”_

_“And do you plan to go inside while Lexa and Niylah are discussing Lexa's therapy sessions and tell her that she's a dumbass?”_

_Luna asks getting aggravated with all this mess and situation and Raven stands beside Bellamy and nods in agreement with his words._

_“As a matter of fact, I think that's a great idea!”_

_“Not you too Raven.”_

_“What's that supposed to mean Luna? I know Lexa is your friend but I'm Clarke's friend too. We all know this is insane. Why do we have to accept Lexa’s decision as if it was God’s command?”_

_Raven says whispering shouting and Luna looks over her shoulder to see Niylah frowning at the door._

_“Okay, listen to me, both of you!”_

_Luna says sternly as she pushes them back from the door. Bellamy grunts when the detective forces him to take a few steps back but retreats slightly looking at Luna and the curly-haired detective sighs._

_“I know that this is not what any of us want, but Lexa is paralyzed, the reality she knew is now gone and she trusted you enough to tell you where she's going and trust doesn't really come easy for her. She needs time to adjust.”_

_“And meanwhile we do nothing?”_

_Bellamy asks with tears in his eyes and frustration in his voice._

_“We look out for them, we take care of both of them as much as we can, but Lexa isn't in the right mindset now for you to try to change her mind. Do you really want to add more distress to an already stressful condition? Think about Clarke, I know Lexa, she will turn to stone if we push her to be with Clarke now, and it will tear them both apart.”_

_Luna says wisely and Bellamy sighs rubbing at his tired teary eyes._

_“So we just lie to our friend.”_

_He says dejectedly and Luna sighs._

_“I don't see any other option if she asks you about it, to force Lexa now it will only make things worse between them. You don’t understand, I saw Lexa when she lost Costia, she was emotionless.”_

_“That’s totally different Luna and you know it.”_

_Raven says as Bellamy nods and Luna sighs with a shake of her head._

_“Is it though? You guys don’t know Lexa as well as I do, she was terrified when Clarke was taken, and she was even sleeping at the station.”_

_“What’s your point Luna?”_

_Bellamy asks still enraged with everything happening although even he knows Luna is right at some level, he might have not agreed with Lexa when she told him what she had decided but he knew that in Lexa’s mind she was doing what she thought it was the best for Clarke._

_“It’s in Lexa’s nature to care about people, to have Clarke taken by Cage, you know she feels responsible, she will push Clarke away slowly and that will hurt them both. They both need time to heal and to find each other again at their own pace, I'm sure that once they have that time Clarke will understand Lexa's reasons, she has always seen Lexa for what she is and if she wants to she will find her.”_

_Luna says and Raven sighs with a shake of her head._

_“I hope for everyone's sake that you are right Luna. I really do.”_

_Raven says sadly as she looks at her girlfriend and Luna nods hoping for the same too._

**Present moment**

_“I do Ray, I really do.”_

Clarke answers after some time and Raven nods into her shoulder looking at their friends at the other side of the street.

_“You know I fought with Luna about it. I mean when I realized what Lexa was doing, we had a few nasty arguments. But then I found out about Niylah and I thought that I would be better if I kept myself away.”_

Raven says ruefully and Clarke sighs.

_“I'm really sorry Ray, I never thought about how hard this could be for you and Bell.”_

_“It's water under the bridge now. Let's all just be glad that it's behind us now.”_

Raven says wisely and Clarke nods as she squeezes her friend's hand and gets up from the stairs pulling Raven with her.

_“Let's see if they're done. We still have to carry all your shit into Luna’s place and I'm hungry.”_

Clarke says and Raven chuckles with a shake of her head at the blonde's admission.

_“Of course you are. Don't worry Luna and I already have lunch ready for us.”_

**

_“Is everything alright between you and Raven?”_

Lexa asks Clarke when they're in the detective’s car following Raven's jeep and Bellamy's truck.

_“Yeah, we were just talking about what to do with Finn’s old stuff.”_

The blonde replies and even though they talked about more than just Finn’s things Clarke doesn't think she should tell Lexa exactly what their conversation entailed. They stay silent for a while but then Lexa looks carefully at Clarke as the car stops in traffic at the red light.

_“If you need space you can use Gustus’s house, I mean, I'm thinking of selling it but Rost told me it will take a while.”_

At Lexa's words the blonde looks at her with a caring soft smile.

_“Thank you for your offer, but it's time we depart with his old stuff. I agreed to meet Raven tomorrow to go over whatever we have there. I think that we probably will give what we can to people in need.”_

_“That's very thoughtful of you two.”_

_“Yeah, there's no point in holding to it and that way we can help someone else.”_

Clarke says and Lexa nods as she taps her fingers on the steering wheel at the sound of the music coming from the radio. Clarke looks at Lexa and smiles, she treasures moments like this when they can talk about their past without the heavy feeling they used to have. The blonde thinks about Lexa's words for a while and then clears her throat softly as Lexa smiles.

_“You want to ask about Gustus’s house.”_

The detective says wisely and Clarke shakes her head with a fond smile, after all that happened between them, Lexa still reads her well as if they were in perfect sync.

_“You're selling it?”_

_“Yeah, I already have a few offers; I went to see Rost with Bellamy the last time I was here.”_

Lexa says and Clarke closes her eyes, there's a slight sting pulling at her heart at the fact that Bellamy was with Lexa in that meeting and not her. Clarke obviously knows that she shouldn't feel jealous of her friend, but considering her feelings for the brunette, to know that she wasn't around for such an important moment and Bellamy was when he wasn't even a fan of Lexa at the beginning, stirs something unpleasant in the blonde's chest.

_“Did you get any good proposals for the house?”_

Clarke inquires softly trying to know more about the subject, for some reason she wants to be a part of the process, well she definitely knows the reason, and she looks at Lexa as she stays focused on the road ahead.

_“I mean, I don't want to intrude…”_

The blonde trails off at Lexa’s silence and the brunette moves her hand to rest on Clarke’s thigh squeezing it softly.

_“There’s no intrusion if we are a team remember?”_

Lexa says using the same words the blonde used just nights ago and Clarke blushes slightly and nods.

_“I just mean it’s something personal to you, I don’t want to jump to any conclusions and come off as if I am entitled to know about it.”_

_“Would you like to see his house after we’re done with helping Luna and Raven?”_

Lexa asks softly and Clarke can’t hide the surprise at the invitation. She eagerly nods, giddy with the prospect of uncovering a little bit more of Lexa’s past, a bit more of the places and people who shaped her to be who she is now.

**

_“So where are we?”_

Roan asks as he walks into the common Kru room with Miller, both carrying some food containers that they went to pick at Redemption’s and Anya looks at him from her desk.

_“Well Fox and Sterling are cataloging the stuff we retrieved from the warehouse along with the bombs they dismantled, they want to have the full list of everything before they start analyzing the samples; it will be easier for them to have everything listed. Lincoln and Jackson are finishing their reports on Pike’s death and they’re still trying to figure out what exactly caused it, although we can say for sure it was something in his food we still don’t know what the substance that killed him is yet. Monty is working with Aden to see if they can salvage anything from the recording equipment we brought back and we’re trying to find out who else might be working with Dax.”_

The FBI agent summarizes it for Roan as he and Miller serve the food to their partners and the older detective huffs.

_“Urgh, it would be nice to have Lexa, Luna and Raven here to help us.”_

The man complains dejectedly as Echo smacks him on the back of his head with a stern look on her face.

_“Stop whining, you know they had to make the move today or else it would take longer for Raven and Luna to get all their shit sorted. Besides Luna is still recovering, she needs to take it slow and Bellamy texted me earlier and he says that they are almost done. If we need them we can call them later.”_

Echo says and Roan pouts as he rubs the back of his head with his pride wounded but not upset in the slightest by Echo’s scolding. They all know that it’s their typical banter and Roan really enjoys working with both FBI agents.

_“Okay, Chief Indra asked me to review my report from yesterday; apparently I forgot to mention some things that were in Lexa’s and Anya’s report, so I have to look it over as I don’t want to have the IA on our tails again.”_

The man says and Miller frowns as he looks at him with a careful expression.

_“You think they might open an internal investigation because we didn’t have a warrant yesterday?”_

The man asks concerned and Roan groans at the possibility, Echo looks from Roan to Anya and shakes her head.

_“Those guys need to back off; seriously, this beef with the Kru is getting them nowhere. What’s their deal anyway? All of this because some baby man can’t stand the fact that Chief Indra is a badass wise leader?”_

Echo says with frustration in her voice and Anya nods, she was never a part of the Kru but she has heard enough stories about Indra and Gustus, they are loved and respected by all the 13th station, even now that Gustus is gone no one dares to say a bad word about him. However that doesn’t mean everyone loves their work. Fortunately, Indra has had a brilliant career and outside the station, between the elders in the community and other Chiefs of the Police Department she had made strong allies, the Fire Department had been a strong ally too but, still, between stations and departments there’s always been some political feuds.

_“I’m not sure if this helps but since you’re working with the FBI and a judge was killed I would think that for everyone’s sake even the IA is better to just let this one go, I mean we acted as we needed to considering the case.”_

Anya says as she opens her food container and feels her stomach rumbling in anticipation after hours without a proper meal. While they eat they talk about what happened the day before and how much they hope that Monty will be able to get something from the recording equipment that they got. It’s going to be a long afternoon for them all, that’s for sure.

**

_“No way, you can’t be serious.”_

Luna says looking through Lexa’s pictures of the concert she was at the night before and the brunette nods.

_“I don’t know how Clarke did it, but she did, she got the tickets to the Tedeschi Trucks Band concert and I have to say despite the hell of a day we had at work it felt really good to go out with her.”_

Lexa says a small gentle smile on her lips as she looks over at Clarke who is opening beer bottles with Raven.

_“Man, I’m a bit jealous, I kind of started to be a fan after hearing them so much when we used to train in the gym but I have to say I’m really happy for you. It was a fucking eternity but it’s great to see you guys getting closer.”_

_“I’m taking her to see Gustus’s house after this.”_

Lexa says and Luna looks surprised at the new information but smiles. They have been carrying boxes and bags for a while now but finally, everything is at Luna’s apartment and the rest is up to her and Raven. True to Raven’s words Luna had roasted chicken ready for them along with a salad and chips, enough for them all and a few packs of beer in the fridge.

_“Guys the chicken is ready.”_

Bellamy says taking the several pieces of chicken out of the oven after having volunteered to heat it up with Octavia’s help and walking over to the living room. Luna’s place is bigger than Bellamy thought, the kitchen and living room are two different open spaces which come together through a large walking area.

_“And we have cold beers for everyone.”_

Raven says proudly as she starts to distribute the beers between the people in Luna’s place that’s now also hers too. Everyone takes a seat at the table which is a little small to fit everyone round it along with all the food but no one minds.

As everyone sits and serves themselves a light silence falls over them and everyone takes the first bites of their food without a word, the tiredness of the morning is clear in how hungry everyone seems to be. After a few minutes eating in silence, Raven looks up at Octavia and Bellamy with a teasing smile.

_“So I reckon that one of you is going to be next.”_

_“The next to do what?”_

Bellamy asks picking a chicken wing and putting it on his plate and Raven shrugs.

_“I moved with Luna, Clarke is already living with hotshot, so one of you is going to be next.”_

Raven states simply and Lexa chokes on a piece of chicken and Clarke blushes.

_“You know I’m not permanently living with Lexa, it’s just a temporary thing.”_

Clarke says as she pats Lexa’s back as the brunette downs a mouthful of beer and Raven shrugs, her eyes focused on the two of them.

_“Details princess, don’t spoil the fun here.”_

Raven says with a wink and then narrows her eyes at Octavia.

_“Although now that I think about it; O is already living with Teddy Bear too, so you’re the only one left.”_

Raven says as everyone laughs and the rest of the lunch goes by smoothly. As everyone talks and laughs, Clarke can’t help but steal glances at Lexa, living with her has been surprisingly easy once they got to talk and it’s nice to sleep with Lexa by her side, she feels safer around Lexa and she wonders if perhaps in the future making it a permanent thing is in their plans.

**

The sun is starting to descend in the sky and Nia is nursing a glass of whiskey as per usual in her office looking through the window when Teb walks in after being told to do so.

_“Ma’am.”_

He says when he bows his head in a respectful manner of greeting her. The woman turns around and looks at him with a small smile.

_“Teb, always respectful, I like that. Here have a glass with me.”_

The woman says and Teb looks at her, a look of surprise on his face at her calm friendly tone, after getting over the shock he nods and accepts the glass from her as Nia leads them to the large leather couches instead of the table and gestures for the man to take a seat. As they sit down the lawyer can't stop thinking that something is going on with Nia.

_“Tell me Teb; am I just another case to add to your list of successes?”_

Nia asks, piercing her blue eyes locked with Teb’s dark ones and the man looks quizzically at her.

_“I'm afraid I don't understand your question ma’am.”_

The lawyer says cautiously and Nia smiles coldly at him.

_“In your honest opinion what are the chances of me coming out of this trial unscathed?”_

Nia asks taking a sip of her glass after and observing the man attentively through the rim of her glass.

_“Honestly ma'am, I would say that without a deal we should expect a conviction. We could still try to get a deal.”_

The man answers softly and fearfully and Nia nods at him as she lowers her glass to rest on her knee, with her legs elegantly crossed as usual.

_“And why would you say that?”_

The woman inquires as the man takes a sip from his glass and clears his throat after as he mulls over his words carefully, it almost feels like Nia is testing him and he doesn’t know why.

_“Even with the knowledge we have about the Prosecution office and what they have against us, the charges against you are serious and too many. Even if we take out the reporters’ testimonies we still have to deal with the Mayor's one, granted that his knowledge now of the case is well accounted for. Although Judge Pike was probably the worst choice for us the newly assigned judge won't guarantee us the safety we would need to get the evidence discarded for the new trial. So between the jury, the new judge, and the evidence the Prosecution has against us I would be lying if I said you shouldn't be concerned about it.”_

The man explains calmly and carefully as Nia gets up from the couch and walks over to the window of her office again.

_“I see, I appreciate your honesty Teb, but I would like to be assured of your loyalty too.”_

Nia says looking out through the window and Teb shifts uncomfortably on his leather seat feeling uncertain of what's going on. Upon the man's silence, Nia looks at him from her position near the window and the man sighs.

_“My loyalties lie with you, ma'am. I haven't forgotten the help you provided me and my family.”_

The man says and Nia smirks slightly with a satisfied nod.

_“Ah, yes, of course, your son’s gambling debts. I'm glad you remember that.”_

Nia says warmly and walks up to the desk and looks at Teb as he quickly rises to his feet and walks over to sit in the chair at the other side of Nia’s desk.

_“You see Teb, I have bigger plans in motion, let's call it plan B. And I need you to play a part in it. Now I'm sure you know how much loyalty means to me and what happens to the people that betray my trust. I want you to be included in my plans but for that, you need to do me a favor first.”_

Nia says a tone of threat in the air and Teb takes another sip from his whiskey to muster the courage to look at Nia and ask a question.

_“A loyalty test?”_

He inquires cautiously and Nia waves one hand in the air dismissively.

_“Those are your words not mine. You still have the envelope I gave you the other day I assume.”_

_“I have it in the safe of my office.”_

The man says and Nia nods at him as she places her glass on the table and leans further forward to look in the man's eyes.

_“I need you to make sure Titus gets that envelope in his home by tomorrow morning.”_

_“The Mayor? Consider it done.”_

The lawyer promptly says and Nia smiles satisfied with his answer.

_“It's important that the Mayor gets the envelope and doesn't track it back to us. You’ll be rewarded if you do everything accordingly.”_

Nia says as she looks seriously at Teb and the man nods.

_“Anything else ma'am?”_

_“That’s all for now and Teb don't disappoint me.”_

Nia says and the man nods as he gets up and downs the rest of his whiskey then walks away. As he steps out of the office Nia picks up one of her phones and dials a number. The other person picks up at the second ring and Nia smiles.

_“Yes, it's me. Everything is going accordingly, be ready to act soon.”_

With that Nia ends the call and sighs, everything is going as she planned and now it’s only a matter of days for it to be over with.

**

As the sun sinks below the horizon Titus steps out of the car and tells Caris to take the Sunday off as usual and the man thanks him, and as usual tells Titus to call him in case he needs anything. With a nod to the driver, Titus walks up to the stairs of his house and puts the key on the lock turning it and hearing the familiar clicking sound.

As soon as the man steps inside he strips off the jacket of his suit and loosens his tie as his dog comes up to him wagging his tail. The man crouches down to greet his long term friend and notices an envelope in the doorway. Frowning Titus picks up the envelope and opens it.

The man walks further inside to the kitchen and grabs a glass walking up to the living room grabbing a bottle of his finest scotch and taking a seat on the couch. The man turns on the TV just for the background noise and his dog lies down on the floor at his feet.

Pouring a generous amount into the glass Titus then brings the glass to his lips and drinks a mouthful of the alcoholic beverage as he reads the letter with a furrow in his brow. Placing the glass on the coffee table with a thud the man rereads the letter once more feeling his blood running cold in his veins.

_“What the hell?”_

Titus says to himself as he downs the rest of his whiskey then pours more to bring it to his lips again clenching the glass on his hand he groans as the liquor burns his tongue and throat. Junior whines slightly sensing Titus’s distress as the man moves to grab the bottle once again but then he sighs looking at his friendly dog.

_“You're right buddy. Drinking myself to death won't solve this. Come on I’ll let you outside before we go to sleep.”_

The Mayor says as he gets up from the couch and Junior makes a contented sound as Titus opens the back door to the garden and lets him out. Mulling over what he read he picks up his phone and tries to make a phone call, glancing at his wristwatch to make sure it’s not too late. As usual, no one answers and Titus refills the water and the food bowls of Junior and then makes something for himself to eat.

Apart from the TV there's no other sound in the house and Titus puts in perspective his life as he heats up his food. He is all alone, Caris is the only friend he has and not for the first time the man wonders if his lonely life has been worthy. Lexa is his daughter and he didn't have the chance to see her grow and be there as a father would have been. Now someone is threatening him, threatening to expose his secrets and the man won't allow it.

**

Sunday morning comes with light rain and cloudy skies. Luna stirs slightly, stretching her arms lazily and finding the bed empty at her side. Frowning with her eyes still closed the detective rolls over in bed opening her eyes as she sits up.

_“Good morning babe.”_

Raven says as she walks inside the bedroom with a tray of food in her hands. Smiling softly the curly-haired woman moves to help Raven place the tray on the bed. Raven smiles as she pecks Luna on the lips and climbs onto the bed.

_“Wow, this is a big breakfast. What's the special occasion?”_

The detective asks as she looks at the food on the tray. Raven made French toast, scrambled eggs, coffee, orange juice and there's a bowl with strawberries and another one with melted chocolate.

_“Do I really need a reason to spoil my girlfriend? But if you need one, what about the fact that this is the first morning of us living officially together?”_

Raven asks and Luna smiles nodding at her girlfriend’s words and grabbing a slice of toast and taking a bite.

_“I’m actually starving, watching you guys do all the heavy work yesterday made me tired.”_

Luna says jokingly and Raven shakes her head with a fond smile and looks over at Luna’s arm to see the bandage near her shoulder where the bullet hit her.

_“Do you feel any pain? Do you need anything?”_

Raven asks and Luna shakes her head as she grabs the glass of orange juice and takes a sip.

_“I’m fine; all I need is to eat this marvelous breakfast with my girlfriend.”_

Luna replies softly and Raven smiles as she starts eating too, they make small talk while having their meal and Raven can’t quite believe how much her life has changed in a couple of months. As they finish their meal Raven grabs the bowl with the strawberries and the chocolate and places it on the bedside table, then she picks up the tray and places it on the floor and Luna looks over at her.

_“What to do you have in mind?”_

Luna asks reading her girlfriend well to know she has something up her sleeve and Raven shrugs with a smirk.

_“It’s just a little experiment.”_

Raven says as she leans closer to Luna and runs her lips over the brunette’s neck causing the curly-haired detective to shiver. Raven’s lips graze softly over Luna’s skin and the detective pulls Raven closer and tilting her head slightly exposing more skin that Raven happily licks as she feels Luna’s hands tugging at the Latina’s shirt.

Moving in the bed Raven lifts her arms and lets Luna pull the fabric of her shirt over her head throwing it haphazardly on the floor. Their lips meet for a kiss and Luna pulls Raven closer, as the kiss deepens and their tongues dance together tasting the remaining flavors of the coffee. Raven’s hands sneak under Luna’s shirt to touch the soft warm skin underneath the fabric and Luna moans. Needing air both of them pull apart and Raven opens her eyes to see Luna inhaling deeply as she licks her lips as if trying to feel Raven’s own still on her.

Raven moves on the bed kneeling and reaching over for the strawberries, she picks one and dips it in the chocolate, placing it in her mouth and looking at Luna’s still dazzled eyes. The Latina leans down running her thumb over Luna’s bottom lip inviting her to open her mouth and Luna understands Raven’s intention leaning a little higher up to take a bite of the strawberry as she does so a drop of the melted chocolate runs down her chin and Raven hurries to lick it and then kisses Luna to let her taste the chocolate from her tongue and lips.

Straddling Luna the Latina looks down at her tugging at the fabric of the grey shirt with the Boston PD logo in blue on it.

_“Take it off.”_

Raven commands and Luna gulps down as she feels a wave of arousal in anticipation of what’s to come, with a nod the detective pulls her shirt over her head and reveals small round breasts and Raven can’t help but notice they are already hardening. The Latina smiles softly at her girlfriend and tells her to lay down on her back. With Luna’s torso completely exposed to her, Raven smirks slightly as she grabs another strawberry dipping it on the melted chocolate once more and holds it just above Luna’s lips the curly-haired woman makes a slight movement to lift her head but Raven smirks and pulls away.

Lowering down the Latina then proceeds to spread some melted chocolate over Luna’s skin, and a drop lands on the woman’s throat and then she draws two circles around Luna’s nipples. Luna shivers slightly at the contrast of the cold fruit on her skin as Raven’s actions leave goosebumps in her wake and as Raven spreads more chocolate in Luna’s torso stopping on her pelvic bone the detective can’t help but moan. Putting the strawberry in her mouth the Latina moans at the taste and leans down holding her hair as she licks the chocolate from every inch of Luna’s skin.

_“Fuck!”_

Luna says jerking her hips slightly as her center starts throbbing with the need that is now fully awake in her. Raven tops Luna, their breasts rubbing deliciously against each other as their skins burn hotter with passion and desire. Raven moves her hips, rolling into Luna to build her up even more.

Short fingernails scratch the expanse of olive skin and Raven moans when Luna’s hands reach her butt and grab it fully pulling her into her. They kiss harder and messily as their bodies undulate together casting shadows across the bedroom as the sun shines outside. Raven’s hand sneaks under Luna’s panties and she feels the warm arousal forming there. Using her middle finger Raven spreads the wetness over Luna’s labia and the detective whimpers as she moves her hips up seeking more contact.

Raven breaks the kiss to move her lips to Luna’s earlobe biting it softly and soothing it with a soft lick of her tongue and Luna’s hand pulls at her hair keeping her close. It takes some effort but the Latina manages to pull Luna’s panties down and kneels between Luna’s legs to strip her of the piece of fabric and then takes off her own panties too. When they are both completely naked Raven takes a moment to look at Luna’s body, toned and tanned and ready for her to take.

Raven’s hands caress Luna’s thighs, scratching slightly as she moves her hands up and down and the detective closes her eyes, surrendering to her girlfriend’s touch. Every time the Latina comes closer to Luna’s sex she runs a thumb teasingly close but never really touching the spot where Luna wants her. Raven opens Luna’s legs and nestles herself above her girlfriend, her hot breathing coming closer to Luna’s throbbing center and she gasps when the engineering student licks the full extent of her labia.

_“Fuck!”_

Luna says when Raven sucks her clit with her mouth and twirls her tongue around it. The Latina smirks at the needy mess that it is her girlfriend and moves up to her lips kissing her and letting Luna taste herself on Raven’s lips.

_“What do you need, baby?”_

Raven asks after breaking the kiss and taking a detour from Luna’s lips to her neck and ear and the curly-haired detective moans as she holds Raven’s body closer to her own.

_“You, I need you.”_

Luna says closing her eyes and trying unsuccessfully to make her voice sound even and Raven’s hand trails over her sex feeling the arousal on her fingertips.

_“What do you want?”_

Raven asks once more, grazing her fingers in a circular motion on the swollen nerve and Luna moans panting and gasping for air.

_“I need you, however, you want me.”_

The Latina smiles satisfied with the answer and moves on the bed, leaning down and pulling out a box she hidden the night before without Luna’s knowledge. Upon the ruffling sound, Luna moves as if to try and see what’s happening but Raven is not having any of it.

_“Tsk, you better stay still and with your eyes closed if you want me to continue.”_

Raven says with a teasingly warning voice and Luna groans displeased but remains with her eyes closed as instructed. Raven opens the box and takes out the strap-on, the medium-sized dildo a good choice the Latina has made knowing Luna well enough to know what makes her comfortable. The sex toy has a part to provide Raven some release too and the Latina doesn’t waste much time and puts it on.

Moving on to the bed once more Raven places herself between Luna’s legs and as she comes closer Luna shivers at the cold touch of a foreign object, opening her eyes she looks at Raven and notices the strap-on on her. Raven soothes Luna’s surprise away as she reaches for the detective’s wet folds and moves her fingers over Luna’s swollen clit. Gathering some moisture on her fingers the Latina then spreads it over the toy, and something about the way Raven’s hand curls around the dildo turns Luna on even more and she moans at the sight.

_“If it gets uncomfortable all you have to do is tell me to stop.”_

Raven says softly, suddenly conscious that this is something they never tried before and is not sure if she’s somehow crossing Luna’s boundaries. The detective nods slowly once as she bites her bottom lip and Raven looks at her.

_“Do you trust me Luna?”_

The Latina inquires softly to make sure that the detective is okay with what they are about to do and Luna smiles.

_“I do.”_

The detective replies and Raven nods as she adjusts her position in the bed between Luna’s legs, she moves the tip of the toy over Luna’s wet center gathering even more proof of the woman’s arousal and then she lines the tip of the dildo with Luna’s center.

Grabbing the toy with one hand the Latina pushes it slowly inside her girlfriend and then lowers her body trying to find the best position for both of them. Luna gasps at the coldness of it and the stretch and Raven hovers over her with keen eyes to see every reaction coming from her girlfriend to know how and when to move again.

Luna’s hands travel from Raven’s sides to her breasts, and then the detective pulls her down for a kiss moving her hips slightly and Raven takes the cue to start moving. The movements come with some ease to the Latina and she finds with a pleasing moan that each time she thrusts inside Luna the back part of the dildo rubs deliciously on her pleasing her too. Luna’s legs are circling Raven’s waist and as soon as Luna’s breathing becomes more erratic and short making it almost impossible to keep kissing the Latina’s mouth is on her neck.

_“Fuck. Oh god, fuck.”_

The detective says as Raven bites and sucks a little spot on Luna’s neck until it comes red. Their shadows morphing into one in the sheets as they move in sync and Luna’s hands are grabbing and massaging Raven’s breasts at the same time the Latina moves deeper and faster. They are completely lost in their own desire but Raven takes in the reactions she’s causing on Luna. Whenever Raven goes deep the straddle of the dildo rubs her clit deliciously and Raven’s own pleasure increases tenfold with it and Luna’s reactions.

_“God, this feels amazing.”_

Raven says slowing down the pace a little trying to make it last for the both of them, Luna moans in agreement and pulls Raven for another kiss as her legs move against Raven’s hips and thighs, the friction of the skin against skin only making the detective more eager to go over the edge with Raven. As Raven slides back and forth in a slower dance the detective’s hands travel over the Latina’s hot skin, little drops of sweat forming and Luna traces them with her fingertips earning soft sighs from Raven at the same time she leaves goosebumps in her wake.

_“Fuck, don’t stop.”_

Luna pleads when Raven’s movements almost stop just to slide in deeper once more and Luna arches her back digging her nails into Raven’s sides then slides her hands lower to grab the brunette’s butt, Raven has found that Luna quite enjoys grabbing her like that and she doesn’t mind one bit.

_“I’m so close.”_

Luna gasps feeling the toy inside her as Raven moves her hips to reach that soft spot of her girlfriend. Picking up the pace again Raven is encouraged by Luna’s moans and her own need each time the toy hits her just right. Moving one hand between their bodies, Raven touches Luna’s clit, hauntingly and with purpose at the same time, and their bodies seem to move in a will of their own now. With another thrust the toy causes Raven to get closer to her own edge too.

_“Holy shit.”_

Raven shouts, going as deep as she can and the toy rubs on her clit pleasantly at the same time Luna cries out in pleasure and arches her back, burying her head in the pillows as she comes, her orgasm crashing down on her like a tsunami wave after the familiar build up in the pit of her stomach. Raven’s own orgasm comes right after when she moves the toy, slipping out of Luna at the same time the detective jerks her legs with the spasms of her blissful high causing the toy to be pressed against Raven’s clit as her essences spill over mixing with Luna’s.

Breathlessly, Raven rolls off of Luna with the strap-on still permanently erect but feeling her whole body boneless and Luna moans reaching blindly for one of Raven’s hands pulling at it and lacing their fingers together and bringing the hand to her mouth to kiss it softly.

_“Fuck, if I have known that this is how my mornings would be I would have asked you to move in with me sooner.”_

The detective says and Raven sighs as she turns slightly on her side to kiss Luna on the cheek.

_“I love you.”_

The Latina says resting her head on Luna’s chest, they stay silent, savoring the still blissful feeling running through their bodies as their breathing slowly evens out and their bodies regain their strength.

**

Lexa blinks as Clarke stirs slightly by her side. The brunette looks at Clarke and smiles, even though they haven't been physical since the other morning the detective feels their intimacy growing with every moment spent together. A phone starts ringing and Clarke groans as she places her pillow over her head and Lexa chuckles slightly as she sits up in bed and picks up the device. Rolling her eyes at the ID caller the brunette turns off the volume and sighs placing the phone down on the bedside table.

Before she can even move from her sitting position the phone starts ringing again and Lexa curses out loud causing Clarke to move the pillow from her head to peek at Lexa with one eye open as the brunette rejects the call.

_“Who is it?”_

Clarke asks with her voice groggy from sleep and Lexa sighs.

_“No one.”_

The brunette says through gritted teeth and Clarke narrows her eyes at her.

_“Lex?”_

_“It's Titus; I thought he would have given up by now.”_

The brunette says in a clear indication that she is trying to be open with Clarke as she places her phone on the bedside table again and looks softly at Clarke.

_“I'm going to make breakfast.”_

_“Don't you want to know what he has to say?”_

The blonde asks cautiously and Lexa shakes her head.

_“I'm done with Titus and his lessons.”_

The brunette says with resolution dripping in her voice and gets up as Clarke moves to sit up in the bed, as she watches Lexa go and thinks about her mother's words from days ago. As Lexa turns the water on, the phone starts ringing again and Clarke picks it up to see Titus’ name on the screen. Looking at the door as if to make sure Lexa is out of earshot, the blonde presses the green button and puts the phone to her ear.

_“Lexa? I… I… We need to talk.”_

Titus’s stern but somewhat soft and uncertain voice comes through the speaker and Clarke narrows her eyes.

_“It's not Lexa.”_

The blonde says bluntly and there’s a few beats in silence until the man's voice comes again.

_“Clarke?”_

The Mayor asks thinking that the raspy voice is familiar to him and the blonde sighs.

_“What do you want with Lexa?”_

The blonde reporter asks and Titus can hear the concern and caution in her voice. The man sighs and decides to take a leap of faith, after all, he trusted the woman's mother and Clarke seems to still be close to Lexa and therefore Titus’s only chance at the moment.

_“It's about the case, please Clarke; I wouldn't be calling if it wasn't serious.”_

The man says and Clarke is taken aback by his sudden soft pleading tone of voice, she hears the faucet of the bathroom stop and she guesses that Lexa didn't take a shower so that means she doesn't have much time.

_“Do you have her address?”_

_“Yes.”_

_“Then I suggest you get here fast and I'll make sure she talks to you.”_

**

As soon as the call ends Titus sighs and looks around, if he wants to talk to Lexa he needs to leave right away. The Mayor hurries around the house to pick what he will need and soon after he’s walking out the door leaving Junior whining behind while he makes a quick phone call.

It doesn’t take him long to reach the detective’s building and as soon as he rings the doorbell the door opens and he climbs up the stairs.

The man stares at the wooden door with some apprehension but inhaling sharply he knocks on it and waits for someone to open the door. Clarke opens the door and looks at Titus, bowing her head for him to enter at the same time Lexa comes back from the bathroom after taking a shower, in the time it took Titus to get there the detective and Clarke had breakfast and while Clarke changed into more suitable clothes Lexa decided to take a quick shower.

_“Titus, what are you doing here?”_

Lexa asks annoyed at the man’s presence and Clarke looks at her apologetically.

_“I told him to come.”_

The blonde says and Lexa’s eyes flash with something akin to hurt and betrayal.

_“Clarke, what’s the meaning of this?”_

The brunette asks sternly as Titus remains calmly in the doorway, Clarke swallows down the lump in her throat as she looks over at Titus and then walks in Lexa’s direction pulling her away from entrance hall so they can have some privacy.

_“Lex, please hear me out.”_

The blonde pleads and Lexa’s first instinct is to pull her hand away from Clarke’s but the blonde squeezes it slightly and comfortingly as she lowers her voice and looks deep into forest green eyes.

_“I know you don’t trust him, I wouldn’t either Lex, but mom told me he helped save you when you’re shot.”_

_“He helped save me? Clarke, what are you saying? The doctors saved me.”_

_“I know, but you needed blood and Titus was compatible.”_

_“And what? Does he want me to thank him for that? I’m sure there are a lot of people out there compatible with me too.”_

Lexa says harshly and Clarke sighs as she places both of her hands on Lexa’s shoulders, the detective looks into ocean blue eyes and nods waiting for Clarke to speak her mind.

_“He says he wants to talk about the case. I think you should listen to what he has to say.”_

Clarke says and Lexa’s jaw tenses but she nods walking up to the entrance where Titus is still standing slightly uncomfortable as if he was afraid of Clarke not being able to convince Lexa to hear him out.

_“Very well, you’re here already so you better start talking before I change my mind.”_

Lexa says coldly and Titus follows Lexa inside the living room as Clarke goes to the kitchen to pour hot tea into two mugs and then walks back to the living room offering one to Lexa and the other to Titus. For some reason the blonde thinks that tea is more suitable than coffee, she’s already on edge with this situation and she guesses that a calming tea is the best choice for the other two people in the apartment too.

_“I’ll call Octavia to see if she wants to go for a walk with me.”_

The blonde says and but Lexa takes hold of her hand.

_“Stay.”_

The brunette says and Titus clears his throat awkwardly and Lexa glares at him.

_“This is a very delicate subject.”_

The man says looking at Clarke with some apprehension but Lexa shakes her head.

_“If this is about the case Clarke has the right to stay.”_

Lexa says, the resolution in her voice renders Titus speechless for a few moments but eventually he nods as Clarke sighs and grabs a cup of tea for herself too. As Clarke walks back to the living room she sees Titus taking a seat on the lounge chair and Lexa sitting on the large couch, the blonde nods towards her and sits down next to Lexa. A heavy uncomfortable silence hangs around them and Lexa observes Titus’ face shift between resolution to shyness and shame, the man takes an envelope from his leather messenger bag and places it on the coffee table looking at Lexa fearfully.

_“When I got home yesterday I found that on my doorstep.”_

The man says and Clarke leans over to pick up the envelope but Lexa stops her with one warm hand on her forearm. The blonde looks at the detective with a confused expression and Lexa smiles a soft smile just for Clarke.

_“Wait.”_

As soon as Lexa speaks she gets up from the couch and walks over to the doorway to look in the pockets of her jackets on the rack for something. She comes back a few seconds later with a pair of black gloves in her hands and as she puts them on, Clarke understands what she’s doing as she has seen it before months ago. If this is related to the case the detective doesn’t want to contaminate further any evidence that might be left on the paper. Bending down to pick the letter from the table Lexa sits down again and opens the envelope pulling a page out of it. The brunette reads it alongside Clarke, but her trained eyes are faster and she quickly scans the letter only picking out the most important parts of it.

**“…if you decide to testify your secrets will become public...”**

**“…the fact that you kept your family hidden all this time will be revealed…”**

Lexa reads some parts of the sentences twice and narrows her eyes at Titus, not fully comprehending the meaning of it.

_“This is clearly a threat, but what secrets are they talking about? What family?”_

The detective asks and Titus gulps as he takes another envelope from his messenger bag and looks ruefully at Lexa.

_“When you were shot I got a call from your station to tell me you were at the hospital. I… I didn’t know what to do or think and I rushed straight there, I needed to know how you were…”_

_“Get to the point Titus.”_

Lexa warns sternly and the man swallows down the lump in his throat casting his eyes on the floor before moving them up again to look at Lexa.

_“You needed blood, and I knew we were compatible so I told Doctor Griffin that I could help and she was kind enough to allow me to do so and that’s when I asked her to perform a paternity test.”_

_“That’s ridiculous.”_

Lexa says getting up from the couch and shaking her head as she looks from Titus to Clarke with wide eyes and taken aback.

_“My mom wouldn’t do that, it’s completely unethical.”_

Clarke says as she moves from the couch and walks up to Lexa to grab her hand comfortingly as she looks at Titus and the man gets up from the lounge chair too placing his hands in the air as if to show he is no threat and Lexa takes in for the first time the casual outfit the man is wearing and his tired expression.

_“I’m not proud of it and Doctor Griffin didn’t want to do it, I guess she took pity on me and I was convinced that she actually hadn’t done it until a few weeks ago.”_

The man says closing his eyes and taking a deep breath ashamed of his actions but then looks at Lexa with tears in his eyes.

_“I’m your biological father Alexandria.”_

The man says and Lexa bristles in anger shaking her head as tears swell up in her eyes and her hands curl into fists.

_“That’s a fucking lie, that’s not possible but assuming that… that it is true why are you telling me this now especially if you have known for weeks?”_

Lexa shouts as Clarke grabs the second envelope Titus had placed on the coffee table and reads the results to see that Titus is speaking the truth.

_“Because whoever planted the bombs at the courthouse, is threatening to use this to keep me from testifying on Nia’s case and I won’t allow my mistakes from the past to put in jeopardy any possible conviction that Nia might face.”_

Titus says slowly and Lexa looks at him completely at a loss for words and Clarke grabs her hands and forces her to take a seat on the couch once more, placing the cup of tea in Lexa’s hands and forcing her to take a small sip from it in hopes that it will ease some of Lexa’s tension.

_“What do you have against Nia? I mean why is your testimony so strong to help her get convicted?”_

Clarke asks wisely and somewhat maintaining a cool head and Titus sighs as he grabs a file from his messenger bag and hands it over for the blonde to take.

_“When Nia stepped down from the office I conducted a full investigation into the office, all the transactions and decisions she made while working with us. I wasn’t able to track the money completely, I suspect she has several offshore accounts in international banks, but I have more knowledge now of what she did. I was blind to it until you started working on it Clarke, but now I’m considered a key witness in the whole process and I won’t let this threat stop me from doing what’s right.”_

The blonde reads the first page of the file that Titus gave her and looks at him with a nod upon understanding its importance.

_“So what do you plan to do?”_

Clarke asks and the man looks at her as he thinks over the blonde’s words and then at Lexa who remains silently staring at him.

_“How long will it take for you to write an exclusive on this?”_

The man asks and Lexa looks at him and then at Clarke.

_“You’re going to expose the fact that you’re my biological father? All to keep clean your fucking image?”_

Lexa says with anger clouding her voice as her hands tremble holding the paternity results and Titus sighs.

_“No, I won’t reveal your name but I’ll tell the truth, if Clarke publishes this whoever is threatening me will have no leverage and I’ll still be able to testify.”_

The man says and Clarke looks carefully at Lexa who shrugs and the blonde sighs looking at Titus once more.

_“In less than twenty-four hours I’ll have a piece ready to be uploaded.”_

Clarke replies and Titus nods as he looks at her and then at Lexa, the brunette is clearly still trying to process everything that is happening and Titus understands. To have been forced to learn about such an important part of her life like this is bound to make her feel lost.

_“They gave me until tomorrow to call them back so it works perfectly. As soon as this story is out I won’t be able to continue in my position, I will resign from the office.”_

The Mayor says and Clarke gasps at him dumbfounded, however, Lexa looks at him sternly as her jawline tenses slightly and her short nails dig half-moons into her palms.

_“You knew my mother…”_

The detective trails off still trying to grasp the reality of the new information about her origins and the man looks at the floor hiding the shame in his eyes.

_“I did, I loved Elizabeth deeply.”_

_“Don’t you fucking say her name!”_

Lexa shouts rising from the couch and Titus falls silent as Lexa strides in his direction looking down at him and pointing a finger at him.

_“She married a man who made her life miserable… She… She killed herself because of him… All this time I thought… I thought I should have done more to… To stop her… to protect her… to… You… If you loved her then why did you let her marry a guy who didn’t deserve her?”_

Lexa says not able to control her rage and the trembling in her hands that are now curling into fists once more, her voice quivering as she tries her hardest to not burst into tears. Titus gulps as he looks up at the anger he can see in Lexa’s eyes. Nothing excuses the abusive way her father, Alexander, threatened her mother, but now Lexa can’t help but think if the man even knew he wasn’t Lexa’s biological father. She always knew her name had been chosen by her mother, now she can’t help but think if it was to appease the man.

_“I want you to tell me everything, why did you leave her? She… She could still be alive if you didn’t!”_

Lexa exclaims brokenly and Clarke gets up from the couch and holds Lexa close, the brunette’s head nestling on the blonde’s shoulder as she lets out her frustrations and sadness and Titus watches with a heavy heart the hurt he is causing.

None of them knows for how long they stay in Lexa’s living room, Titus, as requested, tells Lexa his version of the story, of how he never knew that Elizabeth was pregnant and how he found out she was already married once he returned to Boston after working away for a year. Clarke is baffled, to say the least with it all, the blonde can see now why her mother was so compassionate about Titus; she can also see the similarities between him and Lexa, both taking decisions thinking that is for the best of everyone but failing to see that the communication is the key.

Lexa is silent most of the time while Titus tells her everything he can, from when he met her mother to when he met Lexa in school and how his doubts haunted him, finally he confesses Lexa that Cage called him more than once. The man is tired of secrets, the only to whom he told about Cage’s calls was Indra, but now he can’t keep it inside of him anymore. Rationally Lexa knows that Titus had no way to link the calls to Cage but still his apologies fall on deaf ears.

_“Get out.”_

Lexa says in a snarl, not even looking at Titus as she moves from the couch and looks out through the window with a distant look on her face.

_“I will tell the lab to test this letter you can be assured of that, but from now on if you have any news regarding the case I’ll appreciate it if you take them up to my partner and the person responsible for the investigation, Detective Luna Rivers or take it personally to Chief Indra, we both know you go to her when you need.”_

Lexa says in a detached cold tone and Titus bows his head and stands up, telling Clarke to keep the file he brought with him. The blonde nods and escorts him to the door, once there the blonde opens the door for Titus and he looks bashfully at her.

_“Thank you for helping me today Clarke, I know we had our differences in the past but I want you to know it was never personal.”_

Clarke scoffs with a shake of her head and looks at him.

_“It seemed very personal to me, Mayor.”_

The woman says and Titus sighs sadly, he knows that Clarke isn’t just talking about how he made her life hell when she was pursuing Nia’s story, but also about the email she got while working on the serial killer case and the fact that Titus got Clarke and Lexa both benched from their work. The man nods and steps out of the apartment but before Clarke can have the chance to close the door he clears his throat and looks at her.

_“Clarke, I know I don’t deserve the trust you showed me today but I need to ask for another favor from you.”_

The man says and Clarke looks at him unimpressed, the Mayor sighs and looks at her with a somehow soft and almost pleading expression.

_“She’s really lucky to have you, Clarke, I didn’t see it at first but you are her equal, I know I will never be Lexa’s father, it’s too late for that now, but I’m glad she has you. Take care of her.”_

The man says and Clarke nods surprised at his words, Titus smiles a small curl of his lips in thanks and then starts to walk away.

**

_“Whoa, Clarke slow down, I’m not following! The mayor asked you to do what?”_

Octavia says into the phone and Clarke sighs as paces around Lexa’s living room, she feels a headache forming and she can’t imagine how Lexa must be feeling. The detective left the apartment not long after Titus, despite Clarke’s best efforts to keep her there the broody brunette said she needed some air. Clarke even tried to go with Lexa, not wanting her to drive through the city alone but the detective said she was fine and that she wouldn’t be away for long and Clarke can only hope that Lexa won’t close off again.

Clarke is worried and to try and cast her worries away she decided to call Octavia to tell her what she could about the latest events. As Clarke tries once more to explain to Octavia what happened she goes to the bathroom where she knows Lexa keeps the aspirin, putting one in her mouth the blonde turns the faucet on and takes a mouthful of water to down the pill.

Walking towards the couch the blonde picks up her laptop and fidgets with the keyboard and even though she can’t see her friend she can picture the younger Blake pacing in her boyfriend’s living room just like Clarke was doing moments before.

_“This is insane. Titus has a daughter and it’s Lexa for the love of god! I mean whoa! How’s Lexa?”_

_“How can anyone be after this? I don’t know… She… she just left with this distant look on her face. I’m worried sick about her since she left but O you have to promise me that this stays between us.”_

Clarke says softly and Octavia snorts from the other side of the line.

_“You don’t even need to ask me; of course I won’t say a word. But if I have got it right you’re going to write an article about it.”_

Octavia points out and Clarke sighs as she stares at the white page on the screen of her laptop, she knows that as soon as people find out Titus has a daughter people will try to poke around his life to find who this person is.

_“I’m not going to expose Lexa, although I don’t know if we can keep this a secret for long, I’ll try my best to put the article out with no names involved.”_

_“Okay, let me know if you need anything.”_

_“Thank you O, I will, as soon as I’m done with the article I’ll show it to Lexa first if you don’t mind and then I’ll send it over to you.”_

The blonde informs her friend and Octavia easily agrees considering that this is not a regular situation. When the call ends Clarke checks the time on her watch, it’s past midday and although she’s not particularly hungry she could eat something. Not sure if she should cook lunch or not the blonde decides to see what she can find in the kitchen, assuming that Lexa won’t eat anything while she’s out and that she won’t be particularly hungry once she returns home either the blonde decides to see the leftovers they have in the fridge and use them.

Once she’s nestled on the couch with the laptop on her lap Clarke looks over to the white page and closes her eyes, it’s not usual for the blonde to struggle with what to write but this time she feels nervous. Considering the seriousness of the morning’s events and how they affect Lexa how could she not? The first words the blonde reporter types are hard to come but Clarke closes her eyes and inhales deeply, opening her eyes again she erases her previous words and starts over. Slowly but surely the words come to her mind and the blonde gets immersed in her task.

**

Lexa and Lincoln are in the man’s office and the brunette is explaining to him what happened, the fact that she has known Lincoln for years now and trusts him with her life makes it easier to talk with him even if she’s trying to remain cool with everything that she just discovered.

_“Lexa, that’s a lot to take in just one morning. How… How are you holding up?”_

Lincoln asks from his chair at his office desk and Lexa sighs. She has been doing a remarkable job remaining composed but Lincoln can see the turmoil behind green forest eyes.

_“I've been better I suppose.”_

Lexa says with a sad chuckle and the man nods forlornly as Lexa looks down at her fidgeting hands.

_“I feel like part of my life was a lie.”_

The detective says after a few beats in silence and Lincoln observes her with keen kind eyes.

_“No one expects you to be fine, but regardless of this situation, you can always try to look at the positive side of this. The Mayor, despite his faults, and I'm not going to defend him, but he tried to be there for you. He might have not been there to see your first words or steps, but he was there when you were becoming a teenager, and later on when you became an adult.”_

The man says kindly and Lexa shakes her head as her hands curl into fists in her lap.

_“Link, don't! That man was never my father and never will be, despite the blood we might share. All I have of him is his teachings about how love is a weakness; I failed to see he was the weak one. He harbored these doubts for years because he was too afraid of facing up to his own mistakes.”_

Lexa says sternly and Lincoln exhales through his mouth with a soft nod of his head as he gets up from his chair and walks around his desk placing one large hand on Lexa's slender shoulder to give it a squeeze.

_“I know; all I'm saying is that maybe in time you will be able to look at him as a friend and not a foe. We're all imperfect in our own ways, no one's perfect, and Titus is not a god, he is just as human as the rest of us, and yet he sought you out now, that must count for something.”_

Lincoln says gently and Lexa tenses as she turns slightly to look Lincoln in the eyes.

_“He only came to me now because he's afraid that the next judge won't take his testimony in consideration if this leaks out before he has the chance to come clean.”_

At Lexa's words, Lincoln sighs and leans against his desk with a pensive expression.

_“So, I will personally test the letter for any type of traces it might take a while though.”_

The man says knowing better when to let go of a subject that troubles Lexa and the detective nods thankfully at him.

_“Thank you Link, if you don't mind I would like you to not disclose our conversation to anyone.”_

_“Of course. You don't even have to ask.”_

The man says, understanding that Lexa wants to keep her identity as Titus’ daughter hidden for as long as possible. The kind doctor explains briefly what he is going to do and promises to call Lexa first if he finds something, although the chances of finding a real lead on the letter are dim. The detective thanks Lincoln once more and by the time she leaves the man's office she is more than ready to go home, she avoids everyone in the station including Sergeant Plat and once in her car she calls Luna.

**

Lexa comes back to her apartment to find Clarke on the couch, her laptop resting in the blonde's lap as she types furiously on the keyboard in an impressive speed almost as if her life depended on it. The detective smiles softly at the sight before her eyes, taking off her shoes she walks further into the apartment, realizing that she went to the station in baggy sweatpants and a hoodie. Sensing Lexa's presence Clarke stops her hands and looks up, placing her laptop on the coffee table and looking gently at Lexa.

_“Hi.”_

The blonde says with a smile and Lexa's lips curl up a little in the blonde's presence.

_“Hey. You're working?”_

Lexa asks and Clarke nods as she grabs the brunette’s hands and pulls her down onto the couch. Lexa offers no resistance and sits down as Clarke cradles her face softly running a thumb over the brunette’s soft skin of her impressive jawline.

_“How are you? Are you hungry? I made something with the leftovers we had, nothing fancy just something to fill our stomachs.”_

The blonde says and Lexa smiles tenderly at her with a shake of her head and Clarke narrows her eyes at her looking intently at green guarded eyes.

_“Lex, you need to eat something. I bet you haven't since this morning.”_

Clarke softly says not hiding the concern in her voice and Lexa smiles as she nods at the blonde.

_“Just let me rest here for a couple of minutes, I'll have something in a minute.”_

The brunette says gently and Clarke nods as she looks around and then at Lexa again.

_“Okay, then you’ll stay here, while I heat up your lunch.”_

The blonde says and before she has the chance to move from the couch Lexa holds her in place and looks into Clarke's eyes; so blue as the ocean and Lexa just wants to dive into them. There's a beat in silence and Lexa's eyes fall on Clarke's lips as she cradles the blonde's face and leans in ever so slightly. Clarke's breathing stops in anticipation as Lexa bites her bottom lip with some uncertainty and Clarke licks hers unconsciously. Placing one hand over the brunette’s chest feeling the rapid heartbeat Clarke leans in too and Lexa sighs snaking one hand onto the back of Clarke’s neck and placing her lips over the blonde's.

It's just a feather-light kiss and Clarke closes her eyes moving further into Lexa's personal space and opening her lips ever so slightly. Lexa copies the blonde's movements and the kiss deepens, it's soft and gentle, their lips caress each other and Lexa's tongue darts further to dance with Clarke's own.

It's their first kiss, the proper first kiss after so long and Clarke can swear she can see fireworks behind her closed eyelids. Lexa feels like returning home, in Clarke's arms and with their lips pressed together she feels like she has come back to her safe harbor and all the tension of the morning fades away. With one hand still above the brunette’s chest and the other on the brunette’s bicep Clarke tastes Lexa's tongue, it tastes like coffee and it makes Clarke dizzy. The need for air forces them to break the kiss and as Lexa pulls slightly back she smiles when Clarke chases her lips biting down on her bottom lip softly and licking it before she pulls back too.

_“Thank you Clarke, for… For being you and being here...”_

Lexa says her forehead touching Clarke’s and the blonde sighs with a gentle caring smile. They stay like that in silence for a while, Clarke relishing in the warmth of Lexa's body and gestures and Lexa recharging her batteries in everything that it is Clarke.

**

The sun shines between a few clouds in the sky when Clarke takes a deep breath as she looks ahead. Climbing the stairs of the building with her credentials around her neck she heads over to where the press conference will take place. The town hall is a large building but even though it was in short notice several reporters from different media channels are already there waiting to hear what the Mayor has to say. Clarke looks around and sees Octavia in the background of the room, camera in hand, ready to take as many photos as she can to have the best ones for their article.

_“Everything ready O?”_

Clarke asks after walking up to her and the younger Blake nods as she leans in to give her friend a half hug.

_“Yeah, everything is in order, now all we have to do is wait. How are you and Lexa?”_

The petite brunette asks and Clarke sighs as she looks around.

_“She's handling the situation as well as she can; she should be here with Anya and some of the others… You know just in case.”_

Octavia nods and waves Clarke off to her spot and the reporter easily spots Harper's blonde hair in the front row and walks over in her direction taking a seat beside her as Harper looks at her with a bright smile.

_“Hey, Clarke. Are you okay? You look tired!”_

Harper comments with some worry in her voice and Clarke smiles with a nod.

_“Yeah, I didn't sleep much last night.”_

The blonde reporter from Arkadia replies softly and Harper narrows her eyes at her friend with observant eyes.

_“Are you still going to therapy?”_

Harper asks cautiously and Clarke sighs with a soft smile at her friend’s caring voice.

_“Not anymore, but it's not because of that, it's just work related stress.”_

The blonde says, not wanting to tell Harper that the reason why she didn't get much sleep was because she kept making sure that Lexa got some.

_“Speaking of work, any chance of you knowing what this conference is about? I mean after all you got an exclusive with the Mayor, I don't know how you got it, but I read your article you did an amazing job.”_

Harper comments softly and Clarke thanks her, even Jaha had called her to tell her that her article was impressive. The Arkadia reporter shrugs slightly at her friend’s question saying that it is probably to make an official statement and Harper nods. Clarke looks around and spots Anya in black pants and a white button shirt and a black jacket standing near the door where Titus will be walking through. Their eyes meet briefly and Anya nods as she moves her head slightly to point Clarke in Lexa's direction. The blonde reporter turns around to look over her shoulder at the back of the room and she sees Lexa there, standing still and somewhat tense, their eyes meet briefly and Lexa's body relaxes slightly sharing a soft smile with Clarke.

_“He is coming.”_

Harper says calling Clarke's attention and the blonde turns around to face the stage with the microphone. A woman in a fancy dress steps further and taps the microphone twice to make sure it's on.

_“Good morning, the Mayor will be making a short statement and he won't take any questions after, so please respect his decision.”_

The public speaker of the Mayor's office informs the reporters and there is a buzz coming from the several journalists in the room but when the man steps further forward nodding at the woman silence falls among the people present and the only sounds are the ones of the reporters preparing their equipment and the clicks of the cameras. Clarke hurriedly picks up her notebook.

_“Good morning, I want to start by thanking all of you for being here in such short notice.”_

Titus starts politely clearing his throat and looking around at the several people gathered in the room, he doesn’t see Lexa with the lights turned on at him but he is sure she’s there.

_“When I ran for this office I promised that I would fight for everyone in this city, for justice and truth and it’s in the name of truth and justice that I’m talking to you today. I was called to testify in the court of law in the case against Nia Winters. Now, I won’t get into details about that but someone in an attempt of preventing me from testify threatened me with something that I need to share with you now.”_

The man says and stops to inhale deeply as he looks at the small paper on his hands.

_“I recently discovered that I am a father and although I would argue that this is a personal matter that wouldn't impact my position as Mayor, the fact is that I feel that I can’t in good conscience remain in my position as Mayor. I failed this city once, when I gave Nia the power she needed in the office to pursue her own goals, I was naive then but I won't let a private part of my past put in jeopardy a case that the FBI meticulously investigated and a case where the Prosecution Department put so much work into. And therefore I'm here today to tell you that I'm resigning from the office. I'm coming here today to say that I despite the fact that I lived most of my life wishing for this woman to be my flesh and blood, I only found recently that she is, and I don't want to hide that from you, I am proud of her as I am proud of all the people who have been by my side since the moment I decided to run for this office for the first time, I want to apologize to my team too, but I'll not keep this a secret because I am not ashamed of being a father.”_

Titus looks around as he takes a sip from the glass water that was left for him and spots Lexa, back straight, a blur of a tense body in dark clothes in the far row of the room. Swallowing the water Titus looks at the journalists once more and nods.

_“I will ask, however, that you respect her privacy, she never asked for any of this and I might be her biological father but I'm too late to be her dad. Thank you all once more for coming and have a nice day.”_

With that Titus ends his speech at the same time journalists start to raise their arms in hopes that someone will decide to answer some questions. It all happens too fast, a man gets out of his chair shouting that Titus is a liar and Anya quickly spots that he has a gun in his hands.

_“He has a gun, everyone get down on the ground.”_

The FBI agent shouts at the same time Miller and Lexa stride in the man's direction to restrain him. Before they can get to him, the man fires three shots and Anya watches Titus fall to the floor. The scared screams of the reporters making it impossible for Clarke to think properly as she feels herself being sucked into her own memories of shots being fired and Lexa’s body on the cold floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you guys feel about this?  
> Leave your thoughts on the comments I always enjoy reading them! :D


	12. New discoveries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back guys! :)   
> Sorry for the slight delay on this chapter but you have it now and I hope you like it.  
> I want to give you a heads up about this fic, considering the things I have planned I think we are nearing the end of it but I want to once more to tell you all that I am very thankful for your love, your kudos and comments kept me moving further and this fic had a lot of thought and work behind it, not just mine but my friend's Jo who has been helping me from the start.  
> I apologize for the delays on some chapters and if my words are not as always perfect and poetic, this was my first fic in English and basically my first fic in general so to know that someone out there on this big world has been reading it and enjoying it does really warm my heart and I know that my friend Jo feels that too.  
> Now I won't keep you waiting any longer and I will let you enjoy another chapter of this long journey.

**Chapter 12 – New discoveries**

Anya is looking intently through the glass window from the other side of the interrogation room, she’s analyzing and observing every movement of the sulking man sitting at the other side of the glass slumped on the chair with his hands handcuffed to the table and his head resting in his hands. Miller walks into the observation room with a file in his hands with Echo behind him and they glance at the man on the other side of the glass.

_“What do we have on this guy?”_

Anya asks not wasting any time as she looks at her colleagues and Miller sighs handing her the file.

_“Gabriel Sanchez, 35 years old, married with two little girls. His criminal record is clean; he worked at a car shop and lost his job recently. The Mayor’s office decided to shut the place down because the owner didn't have a license.”_

_“So he doesn't have any link to Nia or any of her associates?”_

Anya asks as she opens the file to quickly read it and Miller looks at the man and then at Anya again.

_“We're digging up everything we can about him, Monty is on it, but so far we don't have any direct links to any of Nia’s associates. We thought that the car shop was a cover front for something else but so far it looks clean.”_

The man says and Anya wrinkles her nose as she looks at the man’s slumped figure, he didn’t offer any resistance but Anya has seen different suspects reacting differently despite being guilty or not, some acted calm or defeated, some put up a fight and she is still apprehensive about this Gabriel and what his motives could have been to shoot the Mayor.

_“Damn, so we have to treat this as an isolated incident for now. Echo, take Aden and interrogate him.”_

Anya says and Echo nods and walks out of the room to call Aden. Miller looks at Anya with a puzzled expression and clears his throat softly.

_“Why are you sending Aden? I mean one of us could do it.”_

The detective inquires casually and Anya shrugs her shoulders with a soft smile on her lips.

_“I want to see what the rookie can do, Echo is quite good at interrogations as you know, and it will be good for him to learn a few things. I'm sure Luna and Lexa would approve.”_

The woman says simply and Miller nods, Aden is still new to the team and eager to learn, and Miller has learned a few things from Echo too, so he can see the reasoning behind the FBI agent’s words.

**

Echo stops at the door with Aden right behind her and looks at him.

_“Just follow my lead kid, if you get too overwhelmed all you have to do is knock on the door and Miller will switch places with you. Are you ready?”_

Echo asks gently and Aden gulps but nods. He has been working with the Kru for some time now, but their previous cases were minor ones compared to this, he can't help but feel slightly nervous about being in the interrogation room for the first time without Luna or Roan, but he trusts Echo, he knows the FBI agent is good at what she does and that she will be the one in charge.

Echo seems to read Aden’s thoughts and insecurities because she waits for the younger officer to take a deep breath to get his emotions in check before opening the door and walking in.

_“Gabriel, are you ready to talk to us?”_

Echo asks casually as she strides further inside the room looking with keen eyes at the suspect. Gabriel isn't sure of how long he has been chained to that table, the man figures that at least more than one hour must have passed but he lost track of time or reality once the gun was fired.

_“How's the Mayor?”_

He asks somberly as he looks up and Echo looks at him with a neutral expression.

_“We're still waiting for an update. Why don't you tell us what you have against him?”_

Echo asks and the man buries his head in his hands and starts crying. Aden looks slightly baffled at the man’s reaction and looks at Echo as they take the two chairs in front of the table, in the opposite direction to where Gabriel is.

_“I… I hope he survives, I… Oh… Oh God, what have I done?”_

The man whines as he cries and sobs and Aden looks at him.

_“We can't help you if you don't tell us what happened.”_

Aden says and the man looks at him with red puffy eyes, despite his height, large body, and what he did earlier in the morning his eyes look gentle.

_“I lost my job earlier this month. My wife, she was fired too, we… We… you have to understand, we have a new baby, when her boss found out she was expecting again he fired her. I didn't mean for any of this to happen... But I was the only one providing some money for our family and now I can't even do that. What else was I supposed to do?”_

Gabriel says visibly shocked and Aden feels his pain, having grown up in a poor neighborhood, he knows these struggles too well. Echo narrows her eyes, there's something more going on that Gabriel isn't telling them.

_“So you lost your job, what does that have to do with the Mayor?”_

Echo inquires once more, her voice is soft but stern and the man shakes his head as he cries more.

_“I can't, I… He promised to help us.”_

The man says and Aden looks at him seemingly catching onto what's going on. The young officer leans further forward and lowers his head as he tries to meet Gabriel’s gaze.

_“Did someone pay you to shoot the Mayor?”_

Aden asks and Gabriel shakes his head but then nods clearly at a loss for words. Echo sensing that Aden is breaking through the man's defenses and nods at him to take the lead, the young officer swallows down the lump in his throat and looks at Gabriel’s broken expression.

_“Look, Gabriel, we can help you, but you have to tell us what you know.”_

Aden says slowly punctuating every word carefully as if to try to make the man believe in his words.

_“You don't understand, they're going to take my daughters away. Angie is just a baby she needs her parents.”_

_“Who are they?”_

Aden asks softly and Gabriel looks at him moving his hands helplessly in the air and rattling the chains in the desk in the process.

_“The social services, he said… He said that social services will take my babies from me.”_

Echo looks from the man to Aden and the young officer gets up from the chair looking at the glass mirror knowing that from the other side Miller and Anya can see him. The dark-haired blonde woman frowns when Aden moves towards the door and she walks with hurried steps to speak with him.

_“Aden? What are you doing? You're bonding with him, you can’t leave now!”_

Anya proclaims sternly thinking that maybe the young man wants to leave and switch places with Miller for some reason but he smiles with a shake of his head.

_“This is a long shot, but it's also a hunch, can you get me Dax’s picture?”_

Anya looks at him and then at Miller behind her as the detective nods and walks in the direction of the common room. Aden nods at Anya too and closes the door walking back to the chair and sitting down on it again.

_“Look, Gabriel, I know that this is scary, I come from a poor family too, and I know the struggles. You're not alone, we can help you but you have to help us too.”_

_“No, no, I just… I just shot a man, the Mayor nonetheless, there’s no turning back now. Oh my God, my babies, I can’t…. They can’t… I don’t want them to see me in jail.”_

_“So help us understand what happened, and you have my word that we’ll try to help you.”_

Aden says and Echo looks at Aden, the detective can't hide the surprise at how well Aden is managing himself in the interrogation room. Bonding with a suspect is not always easy, but Gabriel looks up at Aden and then at Echo and she nods too in a clear indication that she will do what she can to help him just like Aden said.

_“I… I was at the park this morning; I took my oldest daughter for a walk… I was watching her play when a guy came to me and told me that the reason why I was out of a job was because the Mayor didn't want my boss to have his shop open. He said… He said that the Mayor is closing people's unlicensed businesses because he wants them to pay more than they should and can. I… I don't know much about that. I was never good with politics, officers you have to understand… I'm just… I'm just a simple guy, a father trying to provide for his family, but then this guy kept speaking about the injustice of it all, of how the system is rigged to help the rich and powerful ones and that he was wronged too and he wanted to help us and I… I tried to refuse his offer but he said that I should think about my daughters, Angie, she’s just a few months old and Alex, she’s 5 now and she’s just so happy with her new sister… Oh god, what have I done?”_

Gabriel starts crying again and Aden looks at him, torn between feeling for the man's pain or just calling him out for his actions. The young officer takes a deep breath and looks at Gabriel’s defeated posture placing one hand on the man’s forearm in a comforting gesture.

_“Who was this man? Do you know his name?”_

Aden inquires softly and Gabriel shakes his head as he rubs his red puffy eyes.

_“No, he didn't give me his name, I know now that I shouldn't have trusted him, but I was blind with rage. He said… He said that all I had to do was pick the gun… and… and shoot the Mayor and make him pay for all his lies.”_

Gabriel says at the same time a knock on the door is heard and Echo looks at Aden with a nod to let him know she will get the door. Soon after Echo is walking in the direction of the table and narrowing her eyes at the picture in her hands but hands it out for Aden to take and the young officer smiles at her in thanks.

_“Gabriel, you’re doing great so far, we just need one more thing, I want you to look at this picture and tell me if you recognize this man. Can you do that?”_

Aden asks gently and Gabriel nods his eyes still cast onto the surface of the metallic table, Aden slides the photo in his direction and Gabriel pulls it closer rattling the chains in the desk in the process, large hands clutch at the picture before his eyes wide as he looks at Aden.

_“This… it's… it’s him, the man who gave me the gun.”_

Aden looks at Echo with a nod and they get up from their chairs thanking Gabriel in the process and walk out of the room promising to try and do the best they can to help him and his family.

As soon as they step through the door Anya and Miller are already there waiting for them. The dark blonde FBI agent looks at Aden, surprised and proud of what he did.

_“Aden that was great work, great instincts and impressive fast thinking, I'm going to call Lexa.”_

Anya says and Aden blushes but smiles happy for the praise.

**

Lexa is pacing around the waiting room of the hospital, her mind is racing and she can feel the headache that's looming over her when her phone rings and she picks it up to see Anya’s name.

The first thing Anya asks is if Lexa needs her there and if she's okay and Lexa sighs, she's far from okay, but Clarke, Luna, and Octavia are already there and to have more people around her would only make her feel more suffocated. So the detective tells Anya to stay at the station as Anya sighs, even though she can't see Lexa she knows that she feels overwhelmed after all Lexa and Titus always had a weird relationship but Anya respects her friend’s need for space. Instead of trying to make Lexa talk about how she feels the FBI agent tells her what Aden got out from Gabriel and the detective feels her head spinning with the new information.

_“We'll keep digging kiddo, we got this, Aden was amazing in there, you would be proud. How's the Mayor?”_

Anya asks then after a few beats in silence and Lexa sighs.

_“Still in surgery, I'll let you know if anything changes.”_

Lexa then ends the call and Clarke comes up to her with a glass of water and a tablet in her hand.

_“Here.”_

The blonde says softly and Lexa eyes the white pill with distrust.

_“Clarke, I don't want to take pills.”_

Lexa whines slightly thinking of all the times she took pills before sleep just to numb her feelings and the blonde smiles gently at her as if she could read her thoughts.

_“You keep closing your eyes and massaging your temples, I know you have a headache, it's just paracetamol.”_

The blonde says offering her the plastic glass once more and Lexa sighs thankfully and takes the pill. The morning turned into chaos quickly but Lexa is thankful for the fact that Clarke is with her even though the blonde had her struggles when everything went sideways. Clarke watches as Lexa takes the pill and sighs in relief, Clarke herself had to take something for her headache too when she got to the hospital, the morning almost a blur except for Lexa’s presence Clarke vaguely remembers being at the Town Hall and hearing shots being fired as she spiraled into a panic attack that would have been way worse if Lexa wasn’t there.

_**A few hours ago**_

_As soon as the Mayor finishes his speech he turns around as man gets up from the chair and shouts that Titus is a liar, Clarke barely has time to register what’s happening. Three shots are fired at the same time Anya screams for everyone to get down as she grabs her gun. All Clarke can do is slide from the chair to the floor as she clutches her hands around her head and starts swaying while sitting on the floor, she faintly registers someone next to her trying to calm her down but she can’t breathe and her heart seems to be trying to escape her ribcage._

_Lexa notices the man right away and she’s lurching towards him with Miller right behind her and Anya and Luna closing in on him too. As soon as Gabriel sees the Mayor falling to the floor with a loud thud his eyes widen as if he is coming back from a trance and realizing what he has done when all he was seeing was red, he sees some blood pooling on the floor and feels sick to his stomach at the same time he feels a kick to the back of his knees, he immediately drops the gun and falls on his knees as his vision blurs and he thinks he is about to throw up, someone comes from behind him and grabs his hands to put the handcuffs on him and he allows them to with no resistance._

_Lexa looks from the Mayor to the journalists and other people on the floor and sees Octavia with another girl trying to help Clarke. The blonde has her eyes closed and she’s almost pulling her hair at the same time she’s swaying on the floor muttering to herself and taking ragged breaths. Lexa looks at Titus on the floor and something unpleasant settles in her stomach, the man is bleeding but Clarke also needs her help, between the two of them: Clarke or her biological father, a man she didn’t even know was family until the day before, the choice should be obvious and yet Lexa finds herself rooted to her spot feeling unable to act._

_Anya and Miller get Gabriel off the floor as the private security help the citizens get out and Luna shares a knowing look with Anya, the FBI agent nods and with Nathan start to pull or rather almost drag Gabriel away the man stumbles but goes willingly almost as if he is relieved to be away from the large room in the Town Hall. Anya and Miller drag their prisoner out of the room and towards the cars so they can take him to the station._

_“Go and check on Clarke, I’ll be with the Mayor.”_

_Luna says reading the turmoil in Lexa’s green eyes and the detective doesn’t waste any time, she jumps the two sets of rows of chairs until she reaches the front row and crouches next to Clarke as Octavia and Harper step away but keep looking worriedly at the blonde._

_“Clarke, hey, hey babe, I’m right here. You’re okay, you’re safe.”_

_It doesn’t take long for Lexa to know exactly what’s happening, Clarke is having a panic attack over the trauma of what happened with Cage, and the nickname simply falls from her lips like a pray as her heart clenches knowing that she left Clarke after the traumatic events that still haunt her._

_“No, no, no… Stay with me, please Lex. Stay with me.”_

_Clarke repeats some of the words she said months ago and Lexa sits down pulling Clarke to her, the detective then starts rubbing circles on Clarke’s back and lowers her voice to a soft gentle whisper._

_“I’m right here, I’m not going anywhere.”_

_Lexa says and Clarke looks at her but her eyes are dazed and unfocused and it almost feels like she’s looking at Lexa without really seeing her._

_“No Lexa… I love you.”_

_Clarke says clutching at Lexa’s arms with tears in her eyes and Lexa’s heartbreaks and bursts at the same time, and she pulls the blonde even closer to her._

_“I’ll always be with you.”_

_There is a beat and Clarke seems to regain some consciousness but then she gasps at the sounds of the paramedics entering the room and starts falling back into the dark shadow of her panic attack once more._

_“Hey, hey, Clarke, I’m right here. Focus on my voice okay.”_

_Lexa says calmly and gently, and Clarke seems to grasp on at her voice to fight the suffocating feeling claiming all of her body, the blonde nods, and Lexa smiles briefly in relief._

_“That’s good Clarke, take deep breaths for me okay? Close your eyes and focus on me.”_

_Slowly Clarke stops swaying and focuses on Lexa’s soothing voice and words, the detective asks Clarke to name some things she can feel and the blonde moves her hands over the brunette’s clothes._

_“The leather of your jacket, the hard floor, your perfume…”_

_“That’s great babe, you’re doing great.”_

_Lexa gently coaxes Clarke back to reality and after a while, the blonde opens her eyes and looks around to see Octavia’s and Harper’s worried faces._

_“Lex? What… What happened?”_

_“You’re okay now Clarke, don’t worry.”_

_Lexa says as a wave of relief hits her and she looks around, Luna is already on her way out with the paramedics who are trying to stop the Mayor’s bleeding with Luna’s help and she looks over at Lexa with a soft nod. The detective nods too as if to say she’s on her way and looks at Clarke cradling her face._

_“I have to go now, Clarke. Octavia?”_

_Lexa calls out for the blonde’s friend and the younger Blake takes a few steps further forward._

_“Take her home please.”_

_Lexa asks softly and politely but Clarke shakes her head as she clutches at Lexa’s jacket._

_“I’m going with you.”_

_Clarke says seemingly fully recovered from her panic attack but still shaken and Lexa shakes her head still clearly worried but Clarke doesn’t let her go until she agrees. Despite Lexa’s best efforts, Clarke is adamant in going to the hospital and Octavia agrees to take her to Lexa’s relief. And they walk out of the building and towards the cars and Lexa spots Luna right away with blood on her clothes._

_As they part ways Lexa looks over at Clarke with a heavy pang in her chest, the blonde said she loves her but Lexa thinks it’s for the best if they don’t talk about what happened, at least for now._

**Present moment**

Looking around Lexa sees Luna talking with Octavia while they walk out of the room and towards the vending machines and although Luna’s face is still displaying a concerned frown she looks at least better now. The curly-haired detective had a chance to change her t-shirt as soon as they were in the car thankful for the insight that the Kru usually have a pair of clean clothes in the cars they use.

Grabbing Clarke's hand in hers and lacing their fingers, Lexa pulls Clarke towards the plastic chairs and sits down and Clarke looks carefully at Lexa seeing that the detective is about to speak.

_“Clarke, you don't have to be here, I'm thankful that you are, but I will understand if you want to go home and rest for a while.”_

Lexa says softly and Clarke shakes her head with a gentle smile. At first, after what happened with the Mayor and the panic attack, the blonde simply didn’t want to part with Lexa, but now she just wants to give her some comfort.

_“I’m not going anywhere. I know we both have our differences with Titus, but he was there for you when you needed and now he is the one who needs someone. I'm staying as long as you stay.”_

The blonde says softly and genuinely as she cradles Lexa's face and the brunette closes her eyes at the touch. Her head is spinning with everything that has happened but Clarke's presence is a soft reassurance. Clarke leans in towards Lexa and the brunette holds her close as both drawn comfort from the other’s presence. The blonde isn’t sure about what happened, the whole morning feels like a blur: in one moment Titus was speaking and the next the shots were being fired and everyone was on the ground, after that she doesn’t know or remember much, she knows she had a panic attack and that Lexa just like a beacon of light was there to pull her out of a dark tunnel, and Clarke didn’t want to leave her side since then she only let Octavia take her coz she knew she couldn’t ride with Luna and Lexa.

Something seems to have shifted and as Clarke thinks about it she knows exactly what it is: she is in love with Lexa and even though she has known for a long while the depth of her feelings for the broody detective she now feels this need to let Lexa know about them. To be in love with Lexa it isn’t an awestruck revelation, it never was; both of them just had this pull towards the other as their feelings grew but Clarke can’t wait for the right moment to tell Lexa just that: Clarke is irrevocably in love with Lexa. And the fact that their lives seem to be always rushing at a faster pace than they both would like makes it even clearer for Clarke that she will say those words to Lexa as soon as possible.

**

The morning seems to go by at a slow pace until Bellamy arrives at the hospital, the man rushed to the hospital as soon as he heard the news. And as soon as he gets to the waiting room, where his friends are supposed to be, he sees Octavia looking at her phone as she types a message or an email he isn’t sure. But at the sight of his sister the man releases a breath he wasn’t even aware he was holding.

_“O, are you okay?”_

He asks hugging his sister and even though Octavia is a little shaken she tells him she's fine, although physically Octavia seems to be fine Bellamy notices that her tone is still slightly off. As he releases his sister from the hug, Bellamy cradles her chin making Octavia look up at him.

_“O, are you sure you're fine? Do you want me to take you to Lincoln’s?”_

The older Blake asks carefully and concerned in that typical older brotherly way and Octavia lets out a shuddering breath shaking her head slightly.

_“I'm fine, I'm just tense, I mean considering that I just saw a crazy dude shooting the Mayor. It's just… It was… It was scary big brother.”_

The petite brunette says in a small voice as her eyes trail off towards Clarke who is leaning on Lexa's shoulder with Lexa’s arm wrapped around her and Bellamy's eyes follow his sister's gaze.

_“How is she?”_

The older Blake asks concerned and Octavia lets out a sad sigh.

_“She was a wreck Bell, I… I don't know how to explain it but I think she had a panic attack… I’m sure… I don't know how but Lexa managed to calm her down and Clarke has been pretty much glued to her since then. Only when we rode here they got apart but even that was hard to manage.”_

_“Why didn’t Lexa take her home?”_

_“Lexa wanted her to go home but I don't think Clarke will leave this hospital without her.”_

Octavia explains in a soft voice and Bellamy nods as he looks at them once more.

_“I can't imagine what you guys felt, but Lexa doesn't need to be here, Miller texted me to tell me that he would swing by if needed and Raven is on her way too. I'll tell Lexa to take Clarke home.”_

The rookie says as he moves to walk towards them but Octavia places one hand on his forearm to stop him.

_“I don't think Lexa wants to go home though.”_

The brunette says carefully and Bellamy narrows her eyes at her as Octavia looks around trying to think of what to tell Bellamy. The brunette reporter feels torn between telling her older brother everything she knows or keeping Lexa's private life exactly like that: private. Knowing that the brunette detective is closed off weighs on Octavia’s mind, but knowing that Bellamy has been by Lexa's side makes her think that maybe she can tell him what’s going on.

Silently the younger Blake tugs at Bellamy’s hand and pulls him towards a couple of chairs a few feet away from Clarke and Lexa.

_“What's going on O?”_

Bellamy asks as he takes a seat and Octavia gulps and looks at him with a gentle careful expression.

_“I don't think I should be the one telling you this…”_

The reporter trails off and Bellamy looks from his sister to Lexa and Clarke feeling that it is something serious.

_“What's wrong O? You're scaring me. I know that Lexa and the Mayor were close, but Luna is here, I am here and Raven will arrive at any minute. Lexa knows she can trust us to keep an eye on him.”_

The rookie says as a couple enters the waiting room between sobs and soft whines breaking the somewhat eerie environment and Octavia sighs.

_“There's a reason for Lexa to be here, but I need you to promise me to keep this to yourself, I'm sure Lexa will tell you sooner rather than later due to the latest events but until then you have to keep it a secret. “_

Octavia says and Bellamy looks at Lexa and then at his sister again, the man himself feels slightly torn between wanting to know what's going on or just waiting for Lexa to tell him. Before he has the chance to speak Abby is walking inside the waiting room looking around and spotting Lexa at the far end of the room waiting, her face is stoic as ever but somehow soft and concerned too.

Lexa upon noticing the doctor's arrival squeezes Clarke's hand and they both stand up as Abby walks in their direction and Bellamy nods at Octavia as they get up too. The rookie takes it as a sign that he should respect Lexa's privacy despite his curiosity about what Octavia had to say he decides to let it go for now.

_“How is he?”_

Lexa asks when Abby comes closer and looks around and then at Lexa again.

_“The Mayor is stable for now; the surgery took longer than we anticipated. We removed the bullet and in a few hours we will check on him again as soon as the anesthesia wears off. However it is still soon to evaluate the damage he suffered.”_

Abby explains calmly and Lexa sighs as Clarke squeezes her hand for comfort. Abby explains then in more detail the extent of the damage that the Mayor suffered and when she finishes her explanation Lexa looks at her with a soft smile.

_“Thank you.”_

The detective says and Abby looks at her as she places one hand on her shoulder and squeezes it softly.

_“Lexa, I know this isn't the best time but I would like to have a word with you… In private...”_

Abby says trailing off looking uncertain and Clarke tightens her hold on Lexa's hand, the detective sighs as she looks from the blonde to the doctor and Clarke narrows her eyes slightly at her mother.

_“I'm sorry Clarke, but it's a personal matter.”_

Abby says noticing the look on her daughter's face and Lexa clears her throat softly.

_“If it is what I think it is I don't mind Clarke being there.”_

The detective says as a couple of doctors walk in and walk up to the other couple who was waiting there, the doctors speak to them, the young woman cries in relief and hugs one of them as they walk out oblivious to the tension coming from the other people in the waiting room. Bellamy looks puzzled but Octavia nods at him and they watch as Abby leads Clarke and Lexa out of the waiting room.

**

Luna passes by Abby and the other two women and Lexa gives her an unreadable expression at Luna’s quizzical one, when Luna reaches the waiting room she walks up to Bellamy and Octavia with a confused expression.

_“What's that about?”_

Luna asks and Bellamy shrugs as he looks at her with a lost expression too.

_“No idea, they were a bit cryptic but the Mayor is stable from what Abby told us.”_

_“Okay, I was on the phone with Miller and they have some news about the guy who shot the Mayor.”_

Luna says and she walks over to the chairs and tells the Blake siblings what Miller just told her. Nathan wanted to come by the hospital too but the curly detective told him to stay at the station.

_“So you’re saying that Dax is connected to what happened this morning? That can only mean one thing: whoever is calling the shots told him that the Mayor was the next target. Does that mean Clarke is no longer a target?”_

Octavia says her voice sounding a little relieved and hopeful but Luna shakes her head slightly.

_“I think we should still keep an eye on her, in fact on both of you. I don’t want to risk anything because a bigger plan is clearly in motion here, regardless of who might be calling the shots they chose Dax knowing that he has reasons to target Clarke, and you too at some extent Octavia, I think it’s best for both of you to keep doing what you have done until now.”_

Luna says and Bellamy nods, swallowing the lump in his throat as he thinks about the danger his little sister and best friend are still facing, he then looks at Luna with a careful but curious expression.

_“Do you have any idea of who is behind this?”_

_“Not yet, all we know is that is someone with power and money to be able to pull all this off, and whoever it is might be trying to help Nia instead of targeting her.”_

_“That doesn’t make sense! I mean Nia was injured at the courthouse.”_

Bellamy says as he leans back on his chair and scratches the back of his neck and Octavia sighs.

_“I think it does make sense, Clarke and I have been thinking the same thing too, maybe putting Nia in the hospital was just an accident or maybe it was the plan all along, I mean Richard Thompson worked for Nia, whoever picked him to work with Dax trusted him.”_

Octavia says and Bellamy nods as he looks from his sister to Luna.

_“That makes sense, maybe Richard was the link between Dax and whoever is calling the shots, I mean if there’s no link between Nia, her associates and Dax is just normal to assume that Richard was the one who got the job and he recruited Dax to help him out considering that he holds a grudge against Clarke and Pike.”_

Bellamy says and Luna nods at his words.

_“That’s our theory at the moment too.”_

_“Alright, well I’m going to go through every notebook I have and file I got from the time I was working with Clarke on Nia’s investigation and see if something pops up if it does I’ll let you know right away.”_

Octavia says and Luna nods thankfully, she knows that the Kru will need every bit of help they can get. Looking around they decide to wait for Lexa and Clarke to return before deciding if they are staying at the hospital or not.

**

Gaia is in the coffee shop near her work thinking about everything that has happened in the last few days when her phone rings with her mother's name on the screen.

_“Hey, mom.”_

Gaia says when she accepts the call looking around at the crowded space as people come by and leave with hushed steps and words.

_“Are you free right now Gaia?”_

Indra asks and her voice sounds soft but somehow serious and Gaia frowns.

_“Yeah, I only have a court session later today.”_

_“Could you come by the station?”_

Indra asks and there's an edge to her voice that makes her sound worried and Gaia frowns as she checks the time in her wristwatch and sighs.

_“Yeah, uh, I'll be there in a little over thirty minutes.”_

_“I'll be waiting.”_

Indra says in a somewhat neutral voice which isn't uncommon to Gaia, but since Christmas and upon seeing her mother's efforts to reconnect with her it sounds slightly out of context.

_“Mom? Is everything okay?”_

Gaia asks and she knows it's a weird question after all that has happened but she can hear in her mother's voice that something is slightly off, not to mention that Indra never asks her to go to the station unless it is an emergency.

_“Everything is alright; I just need to talk to you.”_

_“Okay, I'm on my way then.”_

Gaia says as she moves and packs her things away, finishing her coffee in the process before getting up, then she grabs her blazer and her satchel, and waves at the barista before walking out of the door.

Once inside the car, Gaia can't help but feel some apprehension. The car ride doesn't take long, the traffic jam of the early hours of the morning is long gone and Gaia parks her car at the same time the sun hides behind a few clouds. It took her less time than she thought it would get to the police station and she’s thankful for it.

As Gaia strides along the pavement she wonders about the FBI agent that she met, Anya, Gaia isn't sure why but when Anya asked for her number she felt compelled to give it and Gaia wonders if she will be there too. As soon as she walks inside the station Gaia’s question is answered, Anya is leaning back against the front desk ignoring whatever Sergeant Plat is telling her, looking like a mischievous child that just wants to annoy the grown-up person behind her. Anya has her arms crossed over her chest and is wearing a white button shirt and dark pants, and her exotic beauty is just like Gaia remembered. Their eyes meet and Anya smirks slightly noticing the way Gaia’s eyes roam over her body.

_“Glad you could join us.”_

Anya says with a smirk and Gaia looks at her unimpressed as she realizes that what Plat was telling her was to move from her line of sight, probably for a couple of minutes now but Anya just pushes herself off of the desk and says something at Plat who just shakes her head. Maybe she wasn't ready to face Anya again, Gaia muses as tension forms in her stomach at being close to the woman again, or maybe the reason why Gaia is adamant in trying hard not to let Anya know she was ogling her is that Anya asked for her number but hasn't called yet and didn't give her number in return.

_“What's wrong?”_

Gaia asks her voice is somewhat stern and Anya raises one eyebrow looking carefully at the woman with chocolate skin and in fancy clothes.

_“Wow, a warm welcome, you're feisty, I like that.”_

Anya says in a flirty way that throws Gaia off somehow but just like her mother she holds herself and looks at Anya impassively.

_“I'm not in the mood for your games agent, so if you're here to escort me to my mother let's go.”_

Gaia says and she can't help but think that she sounds cold and unfriendly. The worst part is that she can't pinpoint why. Was she expecting Anya to call? She barely knows this woman, but something about Anya makes Gaia feel slightly out of her comfort zone and as much as she’s curious about it she doesn’t want to dwell much on it for the time being.

Anya can't hide how baffled she feels at Gaia’s harsh tone but she shakes off her emotions quickly and nods once as they start walking towards the office where Indra is waiting for them. They reach the door and Anya stops her hand midway before she knocks on it and looks at Gaia.

_“Are you sure you’re okay? I mean, you seem stressed and with everything going on we understand if you want to take a break.”_

Anya asks looking at Gaia and something about her soft tone of voice makes Gaia sigh, maybe she is overreacting to the whole thing. After all with everything happening, how could Anya even think about calling her when the Mayor was shot just a few days after Pike’s murder? The Chief’s daughter looks at Anya with a softer expression and nods.

_“I'm fine… I… I'm sorry for the way I reacted downstairs.”_

_“It's okay, listen Gaia, this conversation with the Chief might be a little uncomfortable, but no matter what I want you to know that we trust you, I trust you.”_

Anya says placing one hand on Gaia’s forearm and the touch seems to burn but not in an unpleasant way. Gaia nods once as her heart seems to beat faster in anxiety and Anya knocks on the door and opens it slightly after making sure that Gaia is ready to go in.

_“Chief? Gaia is here.”_

At Anya’s words, Indra gets up from her chair and walks over to greet Gaia with an awkward half-hug.

_“I'm sorry to have called you like this Gaia, but we need to talk to you.”_

_“I wasn't busy, but you're worrying me. What's going on?”_

Gaia asks as they walk further inside the room and Indra motions in one hand towards the chairs. The three women sit down and Gaia looks from Anya to her mother as the Chief places her hands on the table, clasping them together and looking at Gaia.

_“Have you read the article Miss Griffin posted on Arkadia’s page?”_

Indra asks and Gaia nods as she crosses her legs and leans back on the chair under Anya’s watchful gaze.

_“Of course, everyone was talking about it this morning.”_

_“Then you know the Mayor was threatened about the trial Nia is facing.”_

Indra says and her voice is formal as ever but with a hint of softness to it that neither Gaia nor Anya were expecting.

_“In the light of this, we have to assume someone from the Prosecution’s office leaked this information…”_

_“You're not implying that…”_

Gaia cuts Indra’s words off and then is cut too by a soft hand on her forearm and Gaia looks at Anya to see her with a soft look in her eyes and shaking slightly her head.

_“We're not suspicious of you, far from it, we trust you and that's why we called you here. You have a mole in your department.”_

Anya says and her voice sounds even and somehow reassuring despite Gaia’s previous thoughts about where her mother was going.

_“That’s… I… Surely that's not possible!”_

The attorney says bewildered and Anya looks at her with sympathy, she knows the feeling all too well. The feeling of disappointment in someone that had switched sides, there are plenty of stories of cops or agents going rogue but when someone needs to face those facts up close it can be quite disturbing and wake feelings of distrust.

_“It's the only explanation Gaia, think about it. First the bombing attack at the courthouse, and then the threats made against Clarke and Octavia. This is the work of someone who was privy to detailed information about your work. The fact that the bombs were placed evading the police surveillance… Not to mention the threats made against the Mayor now, someone knew he was about to testify, and the only way to know that was if whoever is working with Dax had inside information.”_

Anya says calmly and softly as Indra watches the interaction with keen eyes, Gaia shakes her head slightly still in disbelief.

_“I don't see how. I mean, apart from me and the Attorney General only Ontari knows about our plan, I mean she drafted it with me.”_

Gaia says with incredulity in her voice and Indra nods, she's not about to judge the Attorney General, she has known Russell for years and the man’s conduct has been always immaculate, surely if he had any dirt on him someone would have found it by now. That only leads to one name.

_“How well do you know this Ontari?”_

Indra then asks softly and Gaia closes her eyes with a sigh, she doesn't quite believe what she's about to say, the whole conversation seemingly out of a fictional TV show like Chicago PD or something.

_“I don't know her that well, she volunteered to work with me on this, but our relationship is purely professional, Ontari can be…”_

Gaia stops for a few seconds trying to think about the fellow brunette and trying to find the right words to describe her.

_“She can be very cold, intimidating and professional, rightfully so I might add judging by her pragmatism and her ambition but I can't say she is known for making friends. She… She's rather private….”_

_“But do you trust her?”_

Indra asks and Gaia looks at her strangely, she never really thought about it, surely she knows they aren't friends and trust would imply that she knew Ontari on that level, which she doesn't.

_“I always trusted her work.”_

Gaia says settling for a political answer and Indra nods seemingly taking in her daughter's words.

_“Apart from Ontari and the Attorney General, is there anyone else who might know what you planned? An intern perhaps?”_

Anya asks and Gaia frowns deep in thought and then shakes her head.

_“Not that I remember when I was assigned to the case I took it upon myself to deal with everything, all the information of the process, all the documents, copies, and everything. Due to the complexity of the case, Russell told me he thought it was for the best to have some help. We had a meeting with the department where he appointed me as the lead on the case but he told us that he wanted me to have a second chair, Ontari volunteered right away and due to her work Russell agreed. No specific information was shared in that meeting and Ontari and I always took care of all of the paperwork ourselves.”_

As Gaia remembers the meeting she tells the Chief and Anya what transpired then, while Indra frowns slightly trying to put the missing pieces of the puzzle together but remains silent and Anya seems to be doing the same thing.

_“Alright, Gaia we apologize for this, we respect your work and we are aware of how important it is to keep information in secret but thank you for coming here. And call me if you remember something that can help us.”_

Indra says as she gets up and upon her mother's soft tone of voice, Gaia’s eyes widen as she looks at her slightly surprised but nods. Anya looks at both women noticing the slight awkward interaction and nods at her Chief before leading Gaia out of the office.

_“Your relationship with Chief Indra is…”_

Anya trails off as she closes the door and Gaia looks at her knowingly.

_“Complicated!”_

Gaia says as Anya looks at her with a soft expression as they walk towards the entrance building.

_“I was about to say that it is different but I will take your word for it.”_

Anya says casually free of malice and judgment and Gaia sighs as she appreciates the woman’s gentle tone in her observation, and then looks down at the floor before raising her eyes again to meet Anya’s looking at her with a soft almost understanding expression.

_“My mom and I… We’re not close.”_

Gaia says in an almost whispered tone of voice and Anya nods.

_“Chief Indra is a tough woman, I won’t pretend I know her well but as far as I can see she seems to show her affection differently.”_

Anya comments lightly and Gaia nods, it was recently that she stopped fighting herself because of her strained relationship with Indra. The attorney lawyer always felt like her mother's love for her job was bigger than the love she had for Gaia and the attorney lawyer has always held a sort of grudge because of that. It wasn't until Gaia started working in a demanding job that she realized that adult life comes with many responsibilities, and Indra for her part did what she could to provide Gaia with everything she deemed right for her. Gaia’s father always had a stable job, but Gaia now knows that the financial help Indra provided both of them was needed during many years of her childhood and teenage years.

As they reach the building's door Gaia takes her sunglasses from her purse and she's about to walk out of the station when a warm tentative hand closes around her forearm. Gaia looks up to meet hazel eyes looking at her with such a deep intensity that renders Gaia speechless for a few beats. Anya shifts from one foot to the other seemingly trying to find the right words or the courage to say them out loud and Gaia’s heart does a pleasant flip-flop in her chest.

_“Look, we… Uh… I know the last couple of days have been a little crazy, to say the least but I reckon we could use some time to relax…”_

Anya says looking at the brown eyes of the now more intimidating attorney lawyer and Gaia waits in silence for the FBI agent to continue.

_“Maybe we could have dinner later today or I don't know, just grab some drinks… Together… Just the two of us?”_

Anya finishes lamely and rather surprised at her lack of game and something flashes in Gaia’s eyes who for a moment looks as surprised as Anya feels at the lack of confidence of the FBI agent. Gaia takes a moment to seize the opportunity and steps towards almost invading Anya’s personal space.

_“Are you inviting me on a date agent?”_

Gaia asks and her voice is low but soft with a hint of amusement at Anya’s prior uncertain demeanor. Anya gulps as she's hit by the floral scent of Gaia’s perfume but she tries to rise to the challenge.

_“Keep dreaming, attorney. I just want to keep an eye on you.”_

Anya says with a smirk and a raised eyebrow as Gaia steps away and nods once looking at Anya appraisingly. Anya almost regrets her choice of words, thinking that Gaia would take them personally after their talk with the Chief but luckily the attorney seems to be quite amused by Anya’s antics.

_“For your sake, I hope you keep both eyes on me.”_

Gaia says looking at Anya with a wink as the other woman stares with an open mouth at her, and then Gaia places her sunglasses over her eyes but looks over her shoulder at Anya.

_“You already have my number.”_

The attorney says and Anya nods as she swallows the lump in her throat as her whole body heats up in anticipation of being with Gaia later on.

**

Clarke and Lexa follow Abby to one of the offices near the emergency wing and the older Griffin opens the door and lets them pass. Clarke narrows her eyes at her mother's unreadable expression and watches as Abby closes the door and takes a seat on the chair. Then Abby moves one hand towards the couch and Lexa sighs as she sits down on it with Clarke by her side.

For a few seconds, no one dares to break the silence as a sort of tension grows heavier in the space. Abby seems anxious and Clarke knows her mother well enough to assume that she is slightly nervous. Abby clears her throat and looks at Lexa with a pained expression.

_“Lexa, I… I can't imagine how you are feeling right now.”_

_“You performed a paternity test without her consent mom, that's utterly unethical, Lexa can have your medical license revoked if she wants to, what were you thinking?”_

Clarke snaps with some exasperation dripping in her voice and Lexa grabs one of the blonde's hands to squeeze it slightly. Clarke looks over to see Lexa sighing softly with a shake of her head as if to take the blonde's tension away.

_“I know that there is no excuse for what I did, at the time I didn't want to do it. I told Titus I couldn't, but he helped us save you, Lexa, and I… I can't say in good conscience that I didn't want to at least provide the closure he was seeking.”_

Abby says and Clarke grits her teeth as she looks challengingly at her mother's brown gentle eyes.

_“What about Lexa's closure? Titus might be feeling better now that he is no longer a coward, finally knowing that his doubts were well placed all this time, but neither of you thought about how this would affect Lexa!”_

Clarke says her voice a few notes higher and angry at this whole situation but Lexa shakes her head squeezing Clarke's hand once more before looking at Abby with a surprisingly gentle expression even though there's tiredness etched on her beautiful features.

_“Doctor Abby…”_

Lexa starts and although Abby wants to protest the use of her formal title she remains silent.

_“I'm not going to lie, I would be better off, I would be better remaining in the blissful ignorance about my life, my mom… she… she suffered a lot at the hands of a man who never knew what love was. I can't help but think that if Titus wasn't a coward my mother could still be alive.”_

Lexa says with a sharp intake of breath and Clarke rubs a soothing thumb over the brunette’s knuckles.

_“I'm sorry Lexa; I trust and hope that you know that it wasn't my intention to hurt you when I decided to perform the paternity test.”_

Abby says earnestly and Lexa exhales softly, she can't fault Abby for empathizing with someone's pain, even if that someone is Titus.

_“It is done Abby; I know you had good intentions at heart. However, and forgive me for asking this, but I have to ask, who else knows about it?”_

The question and Lexa's calm tone take Abby by surprise but after what happened she can somehow understand Lexa's concerns and pragmatism.

_“No one else knows, I went to the lab myself and performed the test. I purposefully kept out of it any information about you to protect your identity; sadly I wasn't very good in covering my tracks if the news that Titus has a daughter leaked so fast.”_

Abby says a little frustrated at what her actions caused and Lexa nods with a soft smile.

_“I appreciate what you did, you were thoughtful about it and I can say for certain that not everyone would do the same so selflessly.”_

Lexa says gently and even through her caring demeanor, Abby can see that the morning's events are catching up on her. Abby moves from the chair and walks over towards Lexa, she places one hand on the brunette’s shoulder in a comforting gesture typical of a concerned mother.

_“You two should go home and have some rest. I assure you that Titus is safe and that we're doing everything we can to keep him stable. However, he is out of surgery now and it might be a while before he wakes up. All we can do now is wait and hope for the best.”_

Abby says looking from Lexa to Clarke with a gentle motherly expression and Clarke sighs and looks at Lexa. The brunette would rather wait in the hospital if it was just her, but alas as it is she needs to think about Clarke's mindset too and so she nods and gets up. Abby hugs her tightly, a warm embrace that Lexa hasn't felt in a while and as much as surprises her it is also comforting and Lexa thinks about her aunt, Lianna might not be her blood aunt anymore but Lexa hopes the news won't change the love the woman feels for her. She needs to talk to Lianna and Emori.

After hugging Lexa and apologizing once more in a whisper near Lexa's ear, Abby takes a step back and hugs Clarke too. And the blonde hugs her mother fiercely, drawing strength from her mother’s scent, touch, and love; the blonde didn't even know how much she needed her mother's warmth until Abby's arms were tightly wrapped around her. Lexa watches the scene with a small smile playing on her lips, when she first met Clarke her relationship with her mother wasn't bad but it wasn't completely open either, the two of them too stubborn to concede but Lexa is happy to see their progress now.

When they are both outside the room and part ways with the older Griffin, Clarke looks at Lexa with a soft expression.

_“Something is bugging you? If it's because of my mom’s actions, I… I understand if you're upset with her.”_

Clarke says gently and understandingly and Lexa smiles but shakes her head. It doesn't surprise her anymore that Clarke is always so attuned with her and she knows that denying won't do any good. So she just laces her hand with Clarke's and the blonde looks at her expectantly.

_“I was thinking about Lianna and Emori, I think they deserve to know that I'm… I'm not family.”_

Lexa says her voice breaking slightly at the end and Clarke squeezes the brunette’s hand.

_“They will always be your family Lex. I agree that they deserve to know about Titus, but that won't change how they feel towards you.”_

_“What if it does though? What if Lianna realizes that raising me was a mistake? I mean… I was a kid I could have been sent to a foster home, Lianna had enough struggles with Emori and that jerk she had for her husband… I… What if she feels lied to? And thinks it was a waste?”_

Lexa asks spiraling and Clarke stops in her tracks making Lexa stop too and rounds her to be face to face with the detective. The blonde reporter brushes her finger over Lexa's cheek and looks at her with such intensity that Lexa feels her body falling in the blue ocean right in front of her.

_“I know that this isn't easy, I can't imagine how you’ve been feeling since yesterday but I know Lianna loves you as a daughter, she raised you beyond expectations and the fact that you are the woman you are fills her with pride regardless of your bloodline, that won't change and you know it in your heart.”_

Clarke says placing one hand over Lexa's chest feeling the brunette’s fast heartbeat. Lexa nods softly and leans her forehead against Clarke's.

_“Yo, lovebirds, where the hell have you been?”_

Raven asks loudly and Clarke groans as soon as she recognizes the Latina’s voice, the tenderness of the moment is effectively broken and Clarke turns around to see Raven walking in their direction.

_“What are you doing here Ray?”_

Clarke asks slightly surprised at the interruption of her friend and Raven shrugs casually.

_“I heard hotshot was going through a tough moment and I decided to check on her and my best friend.”_

Ravens replies simply and Lexa looks at her with a puzzled expression.

_“Did Luna tell you something?”_

_“Luna? No, what? Why? What happened out of the ordinary? I mean the Mayor of Boston was shot and that in itself is not common but did something else happen?”_

Raven asks and Clarke shakes her head at her friend's lack of tact but Lexa just sighs, she will have to tell her team what is going on, Luna already knows, and Octavia and Lincoln, but Lexa feels like she can’t keep this from the rest of her team and also her Chief, although she would rather tell them in her own time.

_“Alright, we're on our way to see Luna and the others, Abby told us that the Mayor is stable and that there's nothing we can do here.”_

Lexa says and Ravens nods as she looks at the detective’s tired expression.

_“You guys can go, I'm on my way there anyway, I just dropped by Becca’s office to say hi and I'll tell them that you left.”_

_“Thank you, Ray.”_

Clarke says and Ravens smiles with a shrug, the blonde starts walking away but Raven places a soft hand around Lexa's wrist to make her look at her as Raven looks at Clarke's back and then at Lexa with a soft expression.

_“Lexa, I… Uh… Octavia told me about Clarke, she had a panic attack and I know you coaxed her back to reality, but I'm worried, I know it was not the first time, she… Luna told me that she had one at the courthouse too… I know that Becca is also your doctor, but I think it would do Clarke some good to see a doctor and Becca is really good… I’m not sure if Clarke is still going to the other therapist Abby appointed her.”_

Raven says softly and Lexa's eyes travel from the Latina towards the blonde, she didn't know that Clarke had a panic attack at the courthouse but now that she does she can understand Raven’s worry because she feels it too and she nods.

_“I'll talk to her, I figure that if there's someone who can convince Clarke to see a doctor it’s me considering that I was never a fan of therapy or shrinks but I'm still seeing Becca.”_

_“Thank you, Lexa.”_

Raven says and Clarke huffs and calls them out.

_“Are you done with your whispered secrets, I'm tired and I would like to go home.”_

The blonde says looking dubiously at the two brunettes, wondering why Raven wanted to speak to Lexa in a low tone, and the Latina just shrugs at her.

_“Fine princess, don't worry I'm not stealing your girlfriend, I'm perfectly happy and satisfied with mine.”_

The witty brunette replies with a wink thrown in Clarke's direction and the blonde huffs as Lexa blushes slightly both understanding the hidden meaning behind Raven’s words. Then the detective clears her throat and squeezes Raven’s forearm with a nod and they part ways.

**

Dax looks over his shoulder around the motel to make sure no one is watching him before putting the key in the lock and unlocking it. The man walks inside the dark room with all the curtains closed and drops the several bags of snacks he bought with him onto the floor. There's a loud knock on the door and Dax’s blood runs cold as he looks around startled as a second knock is heard. He reaches for his gun placed at his back beneath his jeans and unlocks it as he takes a deep breath. Walking towards the door he peaks through the small hole in it to see a tall man with blue eyes and a serious expression waiting for him to open the door.

_“What are you doing here?”_

Dax hisses as the man walks past him and looks around with a bored expression.

_“I liked your old base more.”_

_“What are you doing here? How did you find me? You could have been followed.”_

Dax asks once more, a mix of annoyance and nerves dripping in his voice and the man pierces him with his blue eyes.

_“I genuinely thought you would be happy to see an old friend. I came here to tell you that I have orders to work with you dumbass.”_

The man says gruffly and Dax shakes his head.

_“I don't need your help!”_

Dax says curling his hands into fists after placing his gun again behind his back and the gruff man lets out a hollow chuckle.

_“Ah yeah, you have been doing just fine, I heard about the judge and this morning’s stunt with the Mayor. However, you lost your previous partner and the place we set up for you is no longer an option so you'll have to bear with me for a while.”_

Resigning himself to the fact that he is no longer on his own, Dax mumbles something under his breath and plops down onto the couch in the motel room.

“Fine, what are the plans now?”

He asks as the other man goes to the mini-fridge and grabs two beers offering one to Dax and taking the other along with a bag of chips and taking a seat on the armchair.

_“For now we wait.”_

**

Nia is elegantly sitting on her couch in the large living room of her impressive mansion when one of her phones ring with an incoming call. The woman flips the page of the newspaper seemingly bored but looks at the screen and picks up the call.

_“Yes?”_

_“Everything is scheduled for tomorrow at midnight just like you requested.”_

The voice comes and Nia sighs, after months of planning and going to the courthouse, being under the journalists’ scope and unable to go out normally she is finally going to put an end to this unplanned nightmare.

_“Perfect. Are you sure we can trust this person?”_

Nia asks once more and she hears the person humming in agreement.

_“I'm sure mother. I suggest you finish any business you might still have here so we can move on.”_

The person on the other side says almost knowingly and Nia smirks with a flicker of pride flashing through her eyes as she leans further back on the comfortable couch.

_“I see. Don't worry I just need to take care of a couple of things.”_

As soon as Nia ends the call she looks around and at her phone again, just like she said previously she still has a few things to take care of and she will start with the practical ones, she calls Teb to schedule a meeting and when the man clears his last appointment of the day for her she thanks him politely and ends the call.

**

The morning has been a long one and as soon as Bellamy walks inside the station building Sergeant Plat unlocks the passage to the Kru floor and sends him up. The man climbs the stairs fast and as soon as he walks inside the common room Luna spots him and smiles.

_“Hey, thank you for letting me borrow your car.”_

Luna says and Bellamy shrugs his shoulders casually.

_“It was no problem, it was better than going back to the hospital to get it myself.”_

The man says as Luna gives him his keys back. Since Lexa was Luna’s ride and left without her the curly-haired woman needed other options, she could easily ride with Raven but Bellamy wanted to make sure that Octavia arrived at Lincoln’s apartment safely, and Octavia had her car so the rookie decided to drive his sister home and leaving his truck at the hospital. Not wanting to go back to the hospital when Lincoln’s apartment was closer to the station than the hospital, the rookie just told Luna to take his keys and drive herself back to the station too.

_“So can I help you guys out with something? Where's Roan?”_

Bellamy asks as he looks around and Luna shrugs slightly.

_“Who knows? Probably in the gym punching a bag and blowing off some steam.”_

Luna says and Bellamy nods as Anya walks by and looks at them.

_“You wanna help? Read these and see if we missed something, maybe a fresh pair of eyes can find something among this shit.”_

Anya says, dropping a pile of papers into Bellamy’s arms and walking back to her desk as Bellamy looks at her with a surprised face and Luna shrugs amused.

_“You can take Aden’s desk, he is working with Monty.”_

Luna says calmly and with a smile as she looks at the rookie’s baffled expression and Bellamy does as he was told and briefly glances at Miller who smiles with a wink at him and Bellamy relaxes a bit.

A couple of hours pass by and the Kru is still working relentlessly, Octavia has emailed a few things about her investigation on Nia and Anya and Luna have been working on it, sharing theories and pointing names while Echo and Miller cross-reference some of the information. Bellamy walks back from the lounge room with a cup of coffee and once more takes Aden’s desk continuing his search for something, he just wants to find something, really anything on the logs and lists of names that Anya tasked him with.

_“This… this can't be serious!”_

Bellamy says as his body tenses and his eyes narrow at the name right in front of him and Miller looks at him with a frown.

_“What is it Bell? You got something?”_

Nathan asks, noticing how uncomfortable Bellamy seems to be and the rookie shakes his head in disbelief.

_“This can't be right. Guys, who was working on this before?”_

Bellamy asks and Anya raises one eyebrow quizzically at him and shrugs.

_“That would be Roan. Why? What do you have?”_

_“You guys haven't seen this?”_

Bellamy asks a little bit perplexed but he is not sure if his awe comes from what he is reading or the fact that before him no one else saw it either. He moves from the chair he was using and walks over to Miller’s desk showing him the name on it.

_“What the fuck?”_

Millers asks stunned and Anya and Luna walk up to him to read whatever the two other man had seen, Anya’s eyes widen at the same time Echo joins them and sees the name on the page.

_“Where the hell is Roan?”_

Anya asks with a groan and Echo looks at her with disbelief written all over her impressive face.

_“Anya, you can’t be seriously thinking…?”_

_“It’s Roan’s name, right there Echo, under our nose!”_

The FBI agent shouts and Echo shakes her head.

_“He is one of ours Anya; you can’t seriously be thinking that…”_

_“Miller, call Roan now.”_

Anya says her voice with a clear command and Echo shakes her head.

_“Anya, just take a moment and think, this makes no sense.”_

_“Yeah? So how do you explain this?”_

_“I don’t know, but we can’t jump to conclusions like this.”_

_“Yeah, why? Because we would have to accept the fact that we’ve been sleeping with the enemy all this time?”_

_Anya says cringing at her own choice of words as her memory goes back in time to the moment where she and Roan hooked up and Echo shakes her head._

_“I’m sure there’s an explanation, let’s wait for Roan to come back and explain.”_

_“The explanation is that Roan is Nia’s son, that’s all we need to know!”_

Anya counters as she points at the page on Miller’s desk and Luna, despite her surprise, seems to take a moment to collect herself noticing the tension growing thick in the air around them.

_“Enough!”_

The curly-haired detective snaps and her voice is so stern and out of her calm nature that even Nathan is surprised although he has seen first-hand how Luna can snap when she wants or needs to. There are a few beats in silence as all eyes turn to Luna and her hands curl into fists as she takes a deep calming breath.

_“Regardless of our feelings towards Roan, we have to see this through. Roan is not even here and as much as it pains me to say it, that is highly suspicious. Miller go to the prison and take Bellamy with you, make sure that the signature on the official entrance log is Roan’s and call us as soon as you know for sure. Anya, finish the rest of the paperwork to see if there are more entries with Roan’s name, according to this date this was just one month before Dax was released. Echo, go through our files and see where Roan was on that date. I’m going to see the Chief.”_

Luna says and her voice doesn’t leave a margin for debate, however, Anya stops and looks at her with a careful expression.

_“What about Lexa? I reckon that besides Miller she’s probably the closest one to Roan.”_

Anya says and Luna sighs with a shake of her head.

_“Let’s see where this leads us and then we’ll call her.”_

Luna says and Anya nods, Luna turns around to grab her phone from her desk and sighs, she feels the weight of these discoveries hanging heavily on her shoulders but she needs to at least buy Lexa some time to recover from everything that has happened to Titus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... What have you guys thought?  
> Where's Roan?  
> Let me know on the comments below and as always kudos are always welcome.  
> Share this fic with your friends and let me know your theories. :)


	13. Leaps of faith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the long delay!  
> I was planning to update this chapter sooner but had some issues with my wifi connection and had to delay it!  
> Anyways... here's another chapter for you that I hope you enjoy! ;)   
> Thanks for reading it and please keep hitting me with your kudos, bookmarks and comments they mean a lot and they help this fic to reach more people! :)

**Chapter 13 – Leaps of faith**

The morning is finally over and although Clarke feels exhausted she couldn't fall asleep, so instead of resting, after she went home with Lexa, she told the detective to take a shower while she made something for them to eat. They ate in silence not even bothering in turning on the TV, and soon after they finished eating Lexa was napping on the couch. When the blonde returned to the living room after having dealt with the dishes she saw Lexa peacefully asleep and the blonde just smiled not having it in her to wake Lexa up. Clarke settled in the couch besides Lexa and started doodling in her notebook.

But that was more than half an hour ago and now Lexa is moving on the couch and mumbling incoherent words. The brunette jolts awake in panic and Clarke immediately places her notebook on the coffee table and places one hand on Lexa's knee.

_“Hey, hey, it's okay. You're okay now. What were you dreaming about?”_

Clarke asks in a soft calming voice and as Lexa brings her hands to her temples and leans forward placing her elbows on her knees exhaling a mouthful of hair as she regains her bearings.

_“I… I don't remember.”_

Lexa says genuinely but still shaken by whatever it was she was seeing in her dreams and Clarke grabs a glass of water from the coffee table and offers it for Lexa to drink. The detective takes a sip and places the glass on the coffee table as Clarke watches her with some concern, as soon as Lexa places the glass down Clarke grabs her hands and they turn to face each other, knees slightly touching and Clarke squeezes Lexa's hands.

_“Do you want me to call Luna and tell her that you're not going back to the station?”_

Clarke asks softly her worry still showing in her blue eyes and Lexa sighs and shakes her head.

_“Lex, you need to rest, Luna will understand and cover for you.”_

Clarke says in an almost pleading tone and Lexa sighs, she knows Clarke is right, she knows Luna will understand and cover for her, but she can't stay home when the case is still unsolved. The brunette also knows that her team deserves to know the truth but she wants to tell Lianna and Emori first.

_“I'm fine Clarke; I can't sit here all day and do nothing when the rest of my team is trying to find Dax.”_

Lexa says softly and Clarke huffs but Lexa squeezes her hands maintaining eye contact.

_“You don't have to worry about me. I want you to focus on yourself. You had a panic attack this morning and I know it wasn't the first time.”_

Lexa says and Clarke drops Lexa's hands and gets up from the couch turning her back to Lexa so the brunette doesn't see her pained expression while she pretends to look through the window. Lexa however reads Clarke well enough to see that the blonde is trying to avoid the subject. The detective follows Clarke and snakes her hands around the blonde's waist, squeezing slightly before starting to rub soothing patterns with her thumbs over the fabric of the blonde’s t-shirt. Clarke sighs relaxing a little and Lexa places a soft kiss on the blonde's covered shoulder blade before dropping her head to rest on the crock of Clarke’s neck feeling Clarke fully relaxing at the comforting touch.

_“Listen, I know that Abby appointed you a doctor...”_

Lexa starts but Clarke tries to move from the strong embrace groaning when Lexa won't allow her to.

_“It was a waste of time.”_

The blonde says somberly and Lexa nods into her shoulder but doesn't let go of Clarke.

_“I understand that feeling all too well, I've seen enough shrinks to last me a lifetime since I was in the Academy and was forced to do mandatory psychiatric evaluations, but I'm still seeing Becca now and I think you would like her too.”_

Clarke sighs holding Lexa's hands in hers before turning around to face the detective. The blonde places her arms around the brunette’s shoulders and looks at her with an unreadable expression as Lexa places her hands gently on the small of the blonde’s back.

_“You think that I should see your therapist?”_

Clarke says, sounding somewhat surprised and punctuating the word “your” as if to say that maybe that would be weird and Lexa sighs with a shrug.

_“I don't know if it will be a sort of conflict of interests or not for her, but Becca is really good, she… She has helped me a lot and I think it's worth a try.”_

Lexa says softly and Clarke nods, she is still unsure, but if she would take anyone's word about a therapist it would be Lexa’s, and Raven made a lot of progress too and likes to work with Becca so the blonde decides to take a leap of faith.

They stay together in each other’s arms for a few beats in silence and Clarke brushes her thumb over Lexa's jawline and the detective closes her eyes feeling the soft caress of Clarke's skin against her own. Clarke is always amazed with how pliant Lexa is with her and since she’s already taking leaps of faith she decides to take one more.

_“Will you be my girlfriend?”_

Clarke asks, blurting the words out as if she was trying to hold that question captive and breaking the silence between them. Lexa opens her eyes to see an expectant blue ocean in front of her. She's not sure what propelled Clarke to ask this question now and she fears her words might fail her so she just leans in and presses her lips against the blonde's ones. A gentle peck on the lips soon turns to a deeper kiss with their tongues dancing together in a familiar routine.

_“Is that a yes?”_

Clarke murmurs when they pull away and Lexa tightens her hold around the blonde's waist lifting her off the floor and spinning them around once as a burst of joyful laughter escapes her lungs. Clarke can't help the surprised gasp at Lexa's antics and for a moment nothing else matters in the world. Lexa feels alive and content and nothing can erase the happiness at the fact that the blonde just asked her to be her girlfriend, it almost feels childlike to take such happiness from a simple question but Lexa doesn’t care, even if the blonde teases her later on for it. Clarke wants to be with Lexa again as a couple and when Lexa looks down at vibrant blue eyes she can't help but feel like her smile will split her face in two.

_“That was most definitely a yes.”_

Lexa says with a chuckle and Clarke hums as she pulls Lexa in and they kiss fiercely and passionately. Lexa makes a move to step back and break the kiss but Clarke grabs her by the collar of her button shirt and pulls her in for another lip bruising kiss as Lexa's hands trail over Clarke's back. As Lexa's hands sneak underneath Clarke's clothes slightly scratching the warm skin, Clarke tenses slightly and Lexa immediately backs away looking at Clarke with something akin to hurt and fear.

Clarke closes her eyes and inhales deeply; a wave of realization comes crashing over her as if a brick wall just hit her with something she hasn't thought of yet.

_“Lexa… I… I want you to touch me, but I… I'm not sure if I deserve it…”_

The blonde says shyly and Lexa's eyes widen at the blonde's admission. There's a beat in silence as their gazes meet and it's almost as if a whole silent conversation is taking place. And Lexa can see even if Clarke doesn’t say it, she can see the reason why Clarke is holding back. The blonde feels like being with Niylah was a betrayal, one that makes her less worthy of this.

_“Is that why the other day…?”_

Lexa trails off and Clarke ducks her head down slightly embarrassed as if she had realized that she should have sought Lexa out and fought for her instead of allowing herself to wallow in self-pity and seeking a quick escape, and although the detective can't deny the jealousy she felt, she knows she couldn't have demanded Clarke be faithful to a relationship that Lexa herself put an end to. As much as it hurts the truth is that they were both wrong. And Lexa takes a tentative step further forward and holds Clarke's hands in hers.

_“This is a new beginning… I don't want you to… I don't want us to dwell in our past, we both made mistakes but we are both here now and I think we both want the same thing.”_

Lexa says in such sincerity that Clarke feels tears prickling at her eyes at the affection she sees in Lexa's green ones and can hear in her voice. Before she has time to respond Lexa is pulling her towards her own body and she claims Clarke's lips with her own.

They kiss softly and languidly both relinquishing in the affectionate gesture, it feels like a first kiss and coming home after a long time away all in one and more. Clarke breaks the kiss and looks at Lexa with glassy eyes clouded by emotions, love, and desire and the blonde knows she wants Lexa and wants her now. She craves Lexa’s touch and so she tugs at Lexa’s button shirt and the brunette follows the blonde’s hands and she starts undoing her buttons.

Their hands are trembling slightly with excitement and a hint of shy nervousness as Clarke walks further forward and pulls Lexa up with her until the back of the detective’s knees hit the couch. Losing her balance Lexa falls on the couch and Clarke falls after straddling her, the feeling of Clarke in her lap sets Lexa’s body on fire and she runs her hands up and down on Clarke’s thighs over the fabric of her jeans. Clarke rocks her hips slightly as she runs her hands over Lexa’s shoulders beneath the shirt which is now fully open revealing tanned skin and a black sports bra. When Clarke’s lips graze over Lexa’s skin the detective can help but moan as she grabs Clarke’s butt and pulls her into her body even more.

_“Fuck, I missed you so much!”_

Clarke says relinquishing in Lexa’s desire and Lexa pulls back slightly looking at Clarke’s eyes, green and blue obscured by blown pupils.

_“As much as I really want to take you here and now I would rather do it in bed.”_

Lexa says softly and Clarke nods as a wave of arousal crashes down over her and she feels it pooling in her underwear. Clarke leans down, capturing Lexa’s lips with her own and Lexa falters for a moment in her desire to take Clarke to the bed and snakes her hands underneath the blonde’s t-shirt trailing her fingers up and down the blonde’s back. Clarke moans softly and breaks the kiss to pull off her t-shirt with Lexa’s help and the brunette doesn’t waste any time and pulls the straps of Clarke’s baby blue bra over her shoulders freeing large round breasts and pulling one soft nipple into her mouth as one of her hands takes care of the other.

Clarke entangles her fingers in Lexa’s hair keeping her in place and the detective is happy to oblige sucking and twirling her tongue around the pink nipple and feeling it hardening under her touch. Clarke reaches back for her bra and unclasps it, throwing away as Lexa moves towards the other nipple to treat them equally. When Lexa is satisfied with her work she runs her tongue in the valley between Clarke’s breasts and then looks up at the blonde to see her with her bottom lip between her teeth. As Clarke looks down at Lexa’s eyes she leans further to claim her lips once more as she pulls the shirt off Lexa’s shoulders, the brunette moves further and awkwardly shrugs her button shirt off and as soon as the shirt is forgotten somewhere in the couch Clarke’s fingertips are grazing over the brunette’s front leaving goosebumps in her wake.

Lexa moans when Clarke palms her small round breasts and the detective’s hands find purchase on the blonde’s butt once more. Clarke is still rocking slightly into her and Lexa feels her center throbbing in the need for more.

_“Bed, now!”_

The detective says in a commanding tone and Clarke feels even more turned-on, she gets up from Lexa’s lap and immediately pulls her up with her. As they walk towards the bedroom they never stop kissing, Clarke’s hands start working on Lexa’s belt unfastening it as she walks backwards and hits the door frame with a soft thud. Lexa feels Clarke’s hands close to her core as pins the blonde against the door frame and pulls open the buttons of Clarke’s pants and doesn’t give her any warning before slipping one hand in between the pants and Clarke’s panties feeling the pool of arousal coating the fabric. Clarke gasps at the pressure and bucks her hips slightly seeking more contact as Lexa’s tongue runs over her neck and Clarke’s scratches the detective’s back.

Lexa pulls back; looking slightly smug when Clarke whines at the lack of contact and soon after the blonde is erasing that smug grin with a rough kiss as they move inside the room and trip all over each other. Clarke lands on Lexa’s bed with gasp and Lexa is already pulling the blonde’s pants off of her along with her panties. Clarke moans when she feels long fingers scrape over her skin and she sits up as soon as she is fully naked and Lexa moves slightly back to look at her. The blonde moves kissing the scar on Lexa’s abdomen at the same time she grabs Lexa’s jeans pulling them down too. The detective smiles at Clarke’s eagerness but kicks off her jeans along with her socks and her underwear, her own need getting the best of her.

Clarke moves on the bed never breaking eye contact with Lexa and soon enough the detective is topping her with her whole naked body pressed against Clarke, the reporter can’t help but moan as she runs her hands up and down the expanse of Lexa’s skin. Lexa whimpers into the blonde’s neck when Clarke bites her earlobe and starts rocking into her as Clarke’s legs circle the detective’s waist. As Lexa feels Clarke’s heat she grows eager to pleasure the blonde. Taking her weight on one arm the detective lets the other hand roam free over Clarke’s skin and grabs the blonde’s thigh, and then she slides her hand towards Clarke’s knee and moves it back up again at the same time she bites, sucks and licks the blonde’s pulse point.

_“Fuck, baby… Please.”_

Clarke says as she feels Lexa rolling deeper into her, Lexa the gentle lover, as always is going slow, taking her time to kiss and rediscover Clarke’s body again, but the blonde has been craving this for so long that she can’t take this torturous slow pace that Lexa is adamant on keeping.

Lexa smiles at the blonde’s words and gives in slightly, she scratches Clarke’s hip sliding her hand to the blonde’s inner thigh moving her hand upwards, Lexa moves purposely her hand higher ignoring the place where Clarke wants her. As the detective’s hand trails over the blonde’s body, Clarke grows impatient with need but Lexa is too focused on mapping and exploring Clarke’s body with her fingertips, lips, and tongue.

Discovering the blonde’s body, placing kisses on every birthmark and freckle Lexa moves her lips towards Clarke’s wet center, and finally kisses the blonde’s labia drinking in the blonde’s taste before moving up again to kiss her. Clarke moans tasting herself on plump soft lips as Lexa adjusts her body to finally play with Clarke’s clit. Clarke lets out a shuddering breath and a moan when Lexa draws circles over the swollen nerve. She can’t control her hips from rising from the mattress for more and as Lexa places a lopsided kiss on the blonde’s lips she runs her finger all over Clarke’s wet folds.

_“Fuck!”_

Clarke groans and Lexa smiles into the kiss, as she adjusts her wrist and pushes one finger inside Clarke, the blonde’s arousal is coating Lexa’s hand and making it easier for her to move her finger inside her. As Lexa moves her hand to pleasure Clarke the blonde dances with her gasping whenever the brunette rubs her clit with her palm and her lips kiss and caress the blonde’s skin. Their bodies are casting shadows on the walls around them as the sun lights the room and they are lost in time. Clarke grips the detective’s bicep with one hand as the other clutches to the sheets and nothing else matters but the pleasure Lexa is offering Clarke.

The brunette knows Clarke can take more and adjusts her hand to push two fingers inside her and Clarke thrashes at the stretch but her inner walls welcome the sense of fullness inside her. After the slow build-up, Lexa grows a little restless, she starts moving at a fast pace, pushing two fingers inside Clarke, knuckle deep and Clarke is powerless to do much more than close her eyes letting the sensations wash over as her mind goes blank. With each thrust their bare breasts touch pleasantly and Lexa whimpers into the blonde’s skin. Both of them moan and Lexa takes pleasure not only from the movements of her hand that allows her to seek some relief briefly when she rolls her hips but also from the blonde’s sounds and frantic movements.

Despite how long it has been Lexa still knows Clarke well enough to know that with each thrust the blonde is closer to the edge, the blonde’s inner walls clench around Lexa’s fingers, and the slick wetness she feels coming from the blonde beneath her fuels Lexa even more.

_“I’m so close.”_

Clarke says panting and gasping for air as her sweaty body gets hotter with the electric pleasure waves cursing through her. Lexa curls her fingers slightly to reach that spongy spot inside the blonde and Clarke cries in pleasure when Lexa’s palm presses her clit harder.

_“Let go, I’m right here.”_

Lexa says in a sultry soothing voice near Clarke’s ear and the blonde feels her blood run through her veins like fire and then pools between her legs as the familiar tension starts in her muscles and settles in the pit of her stomach.

Lexa relinquishes in the way Clarke’s inner walls clamp around her fingers and she thrusts deeper, curling her fingers and pressing harder on the blonde’s clit and Clarke’s back arches as she curls her toes and moans loudly as the wave falls from the pit of her stomach towards her sex and she cums hard in Lexa’s hand. The brunette’s fingers are still inside Clarke when the brunette moves to kiss Clarke softly and passionately and something about it makes the blonde feel an indescribable sensation. She’s still in her blissful high just moving her lips lazily with Lexa’s ones when she feels Lexa moving slightly.

Lexa slips her fingers out of the blonde and smiles when the latter whines softly at it, still feeling completely boneless. Lexa, however, is not done yet and she moves lower, finding Clarke’s nipples once again and dividing her attention equally between each one, worshiping Clarke’s body as she goes down and Clarke can’t do much more than to sharply intake a mouthful of air as Lexa goes lower and lower.

_“Lex… I… I don’t think I can….”_

Clarke says and Lexa looks up at her as she squeezes one of the blonde’s breasts and kisses her inner thighs, the moan Clarke lets out tells Lexa that she can indeed take more despite what she was about to say. And something primal urges Lexa to continue, she wants Clarke to forget about Niylah or their time apart and everything else. Lexa feels this wild need to make the blonde hers and ruin her for anyone else. She wants Clarke to be hers forever, and although rationally Lexa wouldn’t ever treat a person as a possession she wants to take Clarke over and over again.

At the first flick of a hot tongue on Clarke’s sex the blonde’s body spasms without her permission and Lexa smirks. The detective doesn’t waste time as she dives in taking Clarke’s clit into her mouth and sucking it before twirling her tongue around it.

_“Fuck!”_

Clarke curses when she feels Lexa’s skillful tongue on her and the detective adjusts the blonde’s legs over her shoulders and grabs her butt to lift it slightly to have more room to move. Lexa starts by cleaning the remains of Clarke’s first orgasm slowly, she laps at the blonde’s labia licking the whole extent of it as Clarke starts gasping for air and jerking her legs tightening her hold on Lexa’s head. When one of Clarke’s hands entangles in her hair and scratches her slightly the brunette is all but happy to feel Clarke’s possessiveness over her. As much as she wants to make Clarke hers again she relinquishes in the fact that the blonde wants her just the same.

The blonde’s juices don’t stop from coming and even Lexa knows a second orgasm will not take much longer to come now. She works Clarke up with intent; she kisses her labia, sucks her clit and teases Clarke’s entrance with her tongue. The blonde’s breathing is ragged and uneven and she gasps when Lexa pushes her tongue inside her.

_“Oh god.”_

Clarke screams when Lexa rolls her tongue inside her and then moves back to her clit. When the blonde’s starts begging for more, Lexa pushes two fingers in and they slide in easily, the scent of sweat and arousal permeates the air around them as Lexa sucks Clarke’s swollen nerve and keeps up the pace with her fingers. Clarke’s body convulses as another orgasm is creeping up on her and Lexa takes this moment to seek some relief for herself she pushes two fingers deep inside the blonde and Clarke moans as the pleasant wave of bliss comes crashing down on her again and Lexa quickly moves in bed. She spreads Clarke’s legs wider and places herself in between Clarke’s legs rubbing her throbbing sex against the blonde’s.

Clarke faintly registers what’s happening, one moment a hot mouth was sucking her as two fingers were deep knuckle inside of her and in the next moment, she feels a patch of hair rubbing on her pelvis. The blonde opens her eyes to see Lexa with her own eyes closed moving into Clarke with the urgency of her own need. Something about the fact that their bodies are pressing together in their centers propels Clarke further.

Lexa has taken as much pleasure as she could from pleasuring Clarke and now all she wants is some relief for herself and although Clarke still feels her body is like jelly she tries her best to help Lexa too. They crash against each other as their clits brush together and Clarke looks at Lexa.

_“Let go, babe, I’m right here.”_

The blonde says and her sultry raspy voice seems to do it, Lexa thrusts herself with need against Clarke and an electrical wave comes crashing down on her as she moans feeling her orgasm rippling through her, a scream gets caught in her throat as she feels her essences mixing with Clarke’s as the blonde comes again. Their sweaty bodies hit the bed and Clarke can’t help the awe she feels at this new position, she didn’t think it was possible but the idea of having Lexa cum on her like this made her cum too.

They stay like that, reversed positions in bed, as their bodies regain their bearings and their strength and when Lexa’s breathing evens ever so slightly she crawls up the bed and Clarke welcomes her with open arms and soft kisses.

_“Fuck, this was….”_

_“I know.”_

Lexa says suddenly embarrassed, a warmth creeping over from her neck to her cheeks as she gets flushed at what just transpired between them but Clarke cradles her face and pulls her in fiercely for a rough kiss and Lexa allows her to with no resistance as Clarke tastes the remains of her cum once more from Lexa’s lips.

_“I think this was the best sex of my life.”_

The blonde says blushing slightly too and Lexa smirks raising a perfect eyebrow.

_“Well miss Griffin, now that I’m officially your girlfriend I take upon the duty of repeating this performance as many times as you like.”_

Lexa says teasingly and in such a carefree way that as she leans in to kiss Clarke once more something jolts inside the blonde’s body, no, it isn’t the prospect of having as many orgasms as Lexa can give her, although that idea leaves her in a wild mess, is something that it’s far deeper than the physical connection they share and it’s something that Clarke wants desperately voice out loud.

_“I love you!”_

The blonde blurts out not quite thinking about it on a conscious level but she doesn’t regret it. It came out as a truth that was held in for so long that now just wanted to escape and Clarke looks at Lexa carefully, she doesn’t want Lexa to think that it’s something that comes out from her post-orgasmic bliss. Lexa closes her eyes at the sound of those three words and opens them again to look at the blue ones in front of her, a flick of fear flashes in ocean blue eyes but Lexa just leans in to kiss Clarke once more. When she breaks the kiss she is ready to say those words too, but before she has the chance to do it her phone starts ringing, the blasting sound coming from the living room and Lexa knows it is Luna because it’s her ringtone. The softness of the moment is broken the minute Clarke realizes Lexa’s body tensing beside her and she sighs, she knows that Lexa knows in her heart that the blonde’s admission is true.

**

Miller and Bellamy arrive at the prison with the dreadful fear of someone who is expecting bad news. The car ride was unusually silent, Bellamy can’t shake the guilt he feels upon his discovery and although he knows it’s stupid, he still feels like he stumbled upon something he shouldn’t have seen. Once the car is parked Miller gets out and takes a shuddering breath, his hands tremble slightly when he locks the doors behind him and Bellamy watches him with a pained expression.

_“I’m sorry.”_

The rookie says softly and Miller looks at him with a quizzical expression.

_“It’s not your fault and we don’t know yet if it’s Roan’s signature on that entrance log.”_

Miller replies still shaken about the news but trying to keep his hopes up and Bellamy sighs, for a moment he wonders if he should have put his uniform on, he didn’t have time, when he was eating his breakfast and watching the news he was sure he would have a day off. But then the Mayor got shot and he rushed to the hospital and from there he went to Lincoln’s and then to the station, regardless of what happened with the IA, being on a mission with the Kru with his civilian clothes on is the least of his worries.

The sun is already descending in the sky when Miller introduces himself and Bellamy to the prison guards, both of them showing their badges; at least that Bellamy always carries with him. One of the guards says that he needs to call the director to make sure that they can enter the facility and soon after the large gate it’s screeching, the heavy iron bars slowly moving until it’s fully open, Miller looks at Bellamy and nods as two guards ask them for their guns before they escort them to the director’s office.

On their way to the office, Bellamy can see that the inmates are still outside enjoying the last rays of sun, no one seems to pay them attention but the guards still make sure that no one comes closer on their way to the building. After passing through three other electric controlled metallic doors Bellamy and Miller are finally inside the building, entering through the visitors’ wing, they make their way upstairs and reach the director’s office.

One of the guards knocks on the door and someone gruffly allows them entrance from the inside. The man opens the door and nods at Miller and Bellamy to go in. Both men walk inside and look at the large office around and the director looks at them with a quizzical expression.

_“Detective Miller what can I do for you?”_

The man asks politely but his eyes betray him, he seems uncomfortable and Miller takes a step further forward and clears his throat.

_“Director Flint, we apologize for coming on such short notice, we need to see some of your entrance logs.”_

_“I thought I already provided you with that information.”_

The man says shifting from one foot to the other before pulling his chair out and sitting down on it and Miller nods.

_“Indeed, we have a list of names regarding Dax’s visits but we need to see the log referring to his last months in here.”_

Miller says and the man looks warily at him.

_“Why?”_

The man inquires and Bellamy notices when a drop of sweat rolls down from the man’s temple, something doesn’t feel right but before he can say something Miller is taking another step forward, eyeing the man with an intense gaze.

_“With all due respect sir, but we can’t disclose information about the case.”_

_“I see.”_

The man says scratching his neck awkwardly almost as if he is trying to gain some time.

_“As I’m sure you understand just like the first time I will need a warrant to see this through.”_

The man says dismissively and defensively and Bellamy looks baffled at him.

_“Are you going to make us come back here again? You know we can get the warrant to see these logs.”_

The rookie says a bit harsher than intended and Flint looks at him with a defiant gaze.

_“Officer, I don’t know how things work at your station, especially when the Intelligence Kru is in the middle of it but procedures are procedures, I might work with criminals but that doesn’t mean I don’t follow the rules.”_

The man says and Miller bristles at him and slams one open hand down on the man’s desk with force.

_“Director Flint, I have no qualms in coming back here tomorrow with a warrant from a judge to get the information we need, but I rest assured you that if I do I will search this place from one wing to the other. I’m sure that it won’t look good on your record if we by any chance find… I don’t know… let’s say… some of the inmates get special treatment?”_

Miller says the threat clear as water and the words drifting in the air and landing in Flint’s ears, the man stammers and leans further placing the palms of his hands over his eyes with a heavy sigh.

_“I’m afraid I can’t help you, detective, those logs disappeared soon after the time you were here last.”_

The man says clearly scared and Bellamy looks at Miller and then at the man’s slumped figure.

_“Disappeared? What do you mean?”_

Bellamy asks perplexed and Flint sighs as he lets his head fall on his hands and softly massages his forehead and temples.

_“I mean that someone took those files from the storage room, someone who hacked the system to make it look like no one went there. I’m looking into it as much as I can, but at the moment as much as it pains me I can’t trust my men. Whoever did this did it from the inside that’s all I know.”_

_“And no one else knows about this?”_

Miller asks with a slightly suspicious note to his voice and Flint nods.

_“No one, as I said I don’t know who else to trust.”_

_“Director Flint, with all due respect but you won’t find whoever did this on your own. I can have my team here tomorrow morning so we can help you figure out what happened.”_

Nathan says and his voice is soft but secure and Bellamy looks at him in awe at his friend’s confidence, it briefly reminds him of Roan and Flint oblivious to Bellamy’s musings looks at the detective with a curious gaze.

_“Why? Why would you help me when I have kept this a secret for a while now?”_

The man asks and Miller snorts at the man’s surprised tone of voice.

_“Because despite the fact I hate the feeling of being lied to I understand your reservations about how to approach this situation, and these logs are connected to the case my team is investigating.”_

Miller says and Flint nods standing from his chair. The man thanks them for their help and soon after they are leaving the prison to return in the next morning. Once outside the prison’s gates Bellamy looks at Miller impressed at how Miller conducted himself with the director.

_“How did you know that some inmates have special treatment?”_

The rookie inquires and Miller flashes him a bright warm smile, the adrenaline of the moment winding down as Miller himself feels surprised at the way he carried out his conduct just minutes ago.

_“I didn’t, really, but this is a prison Bell, despite what we tell ourselves powerful people will always have some connections and with that comes groups, leaders, and favors.”_

The detective says bluntly and Bellamy nods as they climb inside the car and Miller brings the engine to life at the same time he places his phone on the dashboard and puts Luna on speaker.

**

_“What the actual fuck? Are you sure Miller?”_

Luna asks into the phone after being briefed by Miller on the events that took place inside the prison’s walls, Nathan can hear his partner’s frustration in her exasperated sigh and he begrudgingly confirms that everything he just said is true. The curly-haired detective nods and soon after is ending the call as Echo and Anya look at her.

_“What was that about?”_

Anya asks, concern etched in her voice and Luna pinches the bridge of her nose as she exhales, she fights the urge to groan and looks with a pained expression at both FBI agents.

_“We’re not getting anything from the prison logs, the files seem to have disappeared from within the walls of the prison.”_

By now the afternoon is slowly but surely fading away even if the sun is still stubbornly shining in the sky, a clear indication that the winter is gone and the days are somewhat longer now. Echo shifts uncomfortably from her leaning position at her desk, and clears her throat slightly as Anya and Luna look at her expectantly.

_“As much as it pains me to say this, this is a well-crafted web, but if we’re to assume that Roan was the one visiting Dax it was when Gustus was still alive. If there was anyone keeping tabs on the Kru it would have been him. If he had so much as a slight suspicion towards Roan he would have taken notes in his files.”_

Echo says and Luna narrows her eyes at her but the FBI agent just shrugs slightly, lifting from her desk and crossing her arms over her chest.

_“Come on Luna, don’t give me that look, I worked here too! Gustus had all our information even about some of our CI’s. We are a family and he kept tabs on us, either to know when to trust us or when to protect us… You know I’m right.”_

Echo says and Luna sighs as she looks around and then looks at Echo once more with a slight bow of her head to indicate that she knows it’s true.

_“Echo, please go get Monty and Raven, Anya keep digging in Roan’s files to see if something pops up.”_

Luna says and Anya nods knowing when to let the detective take charge of things, as Luna turns around to go into the private office that once belonged to Gustus the FBI agent clears her throat and Luna stops and turns around.

_“What about Lexa?”_

Anya asks and Echo stops at the door to look at Luna too, the detective sighs once more as she runs a hand through her hair in a gesture that shows her distress but when she looks up at Anya her gaze is calm and assertive.

_“I reckon that it’s time to call her. I’ll be in Gustus office while doing that.”_

And with that, the detective turns around once more and opens the door to an office she never used for herself but now she feels like it’s the only place where she can take a breather. Once inside it Luna looks around, the computer Gustus used is still there, the office seems larger than she remembered, the small leather couch still inviting and the small wooden cupboard where Gustus kept his booze is suddenly too alluring to resist.

Luna crouches down pulling out a bottle of whiskey and a glass and pours a small amount into the glass, just enough to help her calm down. She raises her glass towards one of the shelves where Gustus kept two photos, one from Costia and another one of him with Luna and Lexa when they were made detectives.

_“I’m sorry Gus, but we will have to dig through all the information you might have on Roan.”_

Luna says with a sad smile playing on her lips as she brings the glass to her lips and takes a sip, making a raspy sound as the liquor burns her throat, and then she moves and sits down on the comfortable large chair. The detective can understand why Lexa spends so much time in there, the office provides a sense of calm that slowly washes her worries away and she looks at Lexa’s picture with her and Gustus and swallows the rest of the beverage.

_“I’m sorry Lexa, I wish I could give more time after yesterday and this morning, but we need you here. I need you here.”_

Luna says as she picks up her phone and scrolls her contact list for her friend’s name, she wishes she could give Lexa more time to digest all the madness going around but with the news of Roan probably working with his mother or for her people she has no other choice.

**

Lexa frowns at the ring tone but she knows that Luna wouldn’t be calling her if it wasn’t urgent, giving Clarke a lingering look the detective moves from the bed and doesn’t even bother in covering her naked body as she pads barefoot across the floor towards the living room. Clarke watches her go enjoying the view but soon enough Lexa’s words are clear in the silent apartment and the brunette’s words make Clarke rush out of the bed; the blonde opens one of Lexa’s drawers to pull out an old faded t-shirt from the Police Academy and throws it on over her body.

_“Luna, slow down, you’re not making any sense.”_

Lexa says again, her voice loud enough to make herself be heard on the other side of the line, and Luna sighs as she shakes her head still in Gustus' office.

_“What’s going on?”_

Lexa asks when her friend takes a deep breath and Luna feels slightly embarrassed at the situation she finds herself in after her rambling.

_“It’s a long story Lexa, and believe me I wouldn’t be calling you if it wasn’t important. But we have news on the case and although I can’t fully explain this in a phone call I assure you that it’s serious and that we need you here.”_

Luna says, her voice finally acquiring the calm tone that it is so her and Lexa nods, as much as she would like to stay at home with Clarke in the pocket of time they managed to build for themselves, she knows she can’t hide from her responsibilities and that the bubble she was in with Clarke is irrevocably broken and although it leaves her with a bitter taste in her mouth she knows they will have more time in the future.

_“Okay, I’ll be there as soon as possible.”_

Lexa says and ends the call turning around to see Clarke a few feet away from her with a worried expression clouding her beautiful features.

_“What happened?”_

_“I’m not sure, but it’s something related to the case, and judging by Luna’s urgency it’s serious.”_

Lexa says looking down at Clarke, the baggy t-shirt barely covering her thighs and self-consciously Lexa looks down at herself, still completely naked and then blushes slightly. Clarke just smiles and places her hands on Lexa’s bare hips with a playful smile.

_“I think you should shower and find something more suitable to wear at the station, but as soon as you’re back I won’t mind this attire.”_

The blonde says grazing her fingers over tanned skin and leaving goosebumps in her wake, Lexa chuckles and nods, even though she already had taken a shower hours ago she knows another one will help her break herself out of the daze she finds herself in Clarke’s presence.

Twenty minutes later Lexa is walking to the kitchen to find a thermos with some coffee and some energy bars next to it, on the table where she keeps her keys and where she left her gun and badge, picking up the gun and badge she clips the items to her waist as Clarke dries her hands on a towel after having tidied the kitchen a little. Lexa grabs the thermos and the snack energy bars looks at Clarke and the blonde shrugs slightly with a soft smile.

_“Thank you.”_

Lexa says smiling softly at Clarke and the blonde nods.

_“I wanted to make you a sandwich but we’re running low on groceries, I’m going to go shopping later though.”_

The blonde quickly rambles and Lexa smiles wider and beckoning Clarke closer with a soft look in her eyes.

_“I don’t know what’s going on, but I might have to stay longer at the station, I’ll call you though and if you decide to go out…”_

_“I know, I’ll ask O to come with me.”_

Clarke cuts Lexa off mid-sentence and as Lexa nods and cradles the blonde’s cheek in her right hand as Clarke grabs Lexa’s jacket and pulls her in, despite the eagerness of the blonde’s hands the kiss remains gentle and soft as Lexa’s thumb runs over Clarke’s skin.

_“Be careful.”_

Clarke says in a soft and gentle tone and Lexa nods and smiles resting her forehead against Clarke’s.

_“I will.”_

With that the detective kisses the blonde’s nose and puts the snacks in her pockets and walks out of the apartment leaving Clarke behind with a soft smile, there is some apprehension lingering in the blonde’s mind but she decides to shake it off with a shower.

**

Luna is leaning on the doorframe watching as Raven and Monty set some wires and equipment on the desk that once belonged to her Sergeant. There's a heavy feeling in her chest as she feels like she's touching something that should be sacred. Raven flashes a smile at Monty as they set their laptops down and then the Latina looks at her sulking girlfriend.

_“Hey.”_

She says softly taking a step towards the detective and Luna unfolds her arms that were crossed over her chest and offers one hand for Raven to take when she notices of how the consultant moves slightly closer but still with a respectful distance in their workplace.

_“We're not going to touch anything else and when we're done we will put everything back in place.”_

Raven says and Luna nods, she knows that the Latina is aware of Luna’s uncomfortable position, prying into whatever Gustus had on his computer.

_“Thank you.”_

Luna says with a gentle sigh and Raven smiles as she squeezes Luna’s hand for comfort.

_“What the fuck is happening?”_

Lexa says harshly when she notices the commotion inside their late sergeant’s office and Luna turns her head around slightly to look at her friend over her shoulder and Lexa takes in the conflict of emotions on the other woman's face.

_“We need to talk.”_

Luna says pushing herself from the doorframe and looking at Lexa apologetically as she walks in the direction of the lounge room. Once inside she tells Lexa to take a seat and soon after she is placing one mug of tea in front of Lexa and grabs another one for her putting some milk in it and leaning on the kitchen counter. Lexa fixes Luna a hard stare but softens when she sees her friend’s pained expression.

Taking in a deep breath Luna takes a sip from her tea and starts to explain Lexa all the latest events. With every new word, Lexa's tension grows, and her jaw tenses as she tries to put her stoic mask up but fails when she looks from Luna to her tea as disbelief clings to every cell of her being.

_“This… It can't be true… Luna… I… I can't believe that Roan would…”_

The broody detective trails off grabbing the mug in her hands with more force than necessary and Luna pushes herself from the kitchen counter walking over to her friend and squeezing her shoulder slightly as she slides down into a chair and looks at Lexa.

_“I know; Roan working for his mother doesn't sit well with me either. But we have to be pragmatic here. From a logical perspective what we assumed so far was that someone from Nia’s high inner circle was trying to throw us off while trying to save her from the trial. What if it’s Nia herself? Roan is her son and despite what we know about their relationship you have to see that this is very suspicious especially considering that he has just disappeared.”_

_“You said that the logs from the prison are missing… What if…”_

Lexa says pausing a little, she knows that the evidence against Roan puts him directly on the spot but it still doesn't make sense.

_“What if someone is trying to frame him and he is trying to find out too?”_

Luna finishes Lexa’s reasoning for her and Lexa looks at her friend with a careful expression and a nod. The curly-haired detective sighs and takes another sip of her tea placing the mug down with a soft thud.

_“If it is someone from Nia’s people it would make sense, but the best way to look at this at the moment is if we treat Roan as a suspect. And as much as it pains me he isn’t making this easier for himself, I mean we can’t reach him and he has been gone for hours.”_

Lexa nods as she tries to process all the information from the last hours the best she can, there are a lot of pieces to the puzzle now and some still don't make sense to her.

_“Okay… Echo wasn’t wrong, Gustus kept tabs on us, but I doubt he had that information here, there’s only one place where he could keep that and that is…”_

_“Gustus’ home, the safe we used to put Finn’s gun.”_

Luna finishes Lexa’s words once more and the broody detective nods as she looks at Luna with certainty in her eyes.

_“I’m going there.”_

_“I’ll come with you!”_

Luna says and Lexa shakes her head slightly but before Luna can protest she’s already speaking again.

_“No, we need someone here, I’ll ask Anya to come with me, you know that Raven and Monty will dig in Gustus’ files, and we don’t know what they will find, we need someone…”_

_“To oversee them, I get it”_

Luna says quickly catching up with Lexa’s thoughts and the broody detective sighs with a nod, the curly-haired detective sighs too, as much as she would like to go with Lexa she knows her friend is right: if Gustus kept his information somewhere is more likely to have put it in a place he felt it was secure and therefore his safe at his own home is the best place for it. Luna still remembers when she and Lexa decided to keep Finn’s gun in his safe, Lexa was the one who came up with the idea.

Over the years the Kru dealt with every kind of person in Boston, Gustus kept tabs on every source they had, and sometimes the Kru would get money from common folk on the streets, not only to keep them safe but also to have eyes everywhere and that money was also used to pay them for information. Finn’s gun was illegal and the serial number had been scratched off of it and when Luna retrieved it from Raven’s hand there was only one place where they could keep it without raising suspicions and that place was Gustus’ safe.

Gustus was an honorable man and didn’t do things lightly, but the Kru has always been a special team that sometimes did stuff off the books and although Luna didn’t always see eye to eye with him and the rest of her team the fact was that some cases were best handled when a random item was brought out from his safe to pressure a suspect or an informant. Sometimes, more often than not, Gustus would use some of that “illegal” money to offer a good meal or a piece of clothing to their informants or a random scared homeless witness. All in all, it was completely unethical, which was the reason why Luna struggled so much with it but with that money came random acts of kindness that made Luna accept that sometimes the end justified the means.

And so it’s reasonable and possible for Gustus to have stored some information in his safe, it’s also possible that Raven and Monty might find something on his work computer, Illian and Monty had already found some things on Gustus’ phone and if by some random chance Raven and Monty find something else Luna knows she will have to talk to them about it.

The two detectives walk out of the lounge room and Luna goes over to see how Raven and Monty are doing as Lexa walks over to Anya’s desk and tells her they are going on a short trip.

**

The sun is slowly but surely setting on the horizon in between the red brick buildings of Boston and with it, the streets are coming to life with the cars of eager people to return home after another day at work. Lexa drives carefully trying to avoid the main streets and taking shortcuts to get to Gustus’ home as fast as possible.

Anya is Lexa's silent companion on the ride and although Lexa doesn't mind the silence and understands the fact that everyone working in the Kru is still trying to process the events involving Roan but she can see that her friend has something else on her mind. Anya might be quiet but she's fidgeting with her phone and Lexa has noticed how she had opened the messages app a few times now, sometimes she goes as far as to type a few letters but then she closes the app and sighs checking the time on her watch.

_“Okay, enough, what's going on with you?”_

Lexa asks bluntly when Anya sighs again and the FBI agent startles at the sudden question and drops her phone in her lap.

_“What do you mean?”_

The dark-haired blonde woman asks and Lexa shakes her head slightly at her.

_“You've been far quieter than usual Anya, you keep checking your phone and I would think you are expecting Roan to call you if I didn't know any better.”_

_“He might call…”_

The FBI agent trails off and Lexa snorts.

_“Really? We both know that he won't, Roan has been M.I.A for hours now we don’t even know for how long. I know that this is bugging you, I mean we are all on edge with it, but I know you and I know something is up.”_

Lexa says with conviction stopping at the red light and looking pointedly at Anya for good measure and the FBI agent takes a deep breath looking out of the window and watching as the car starts moving again.

_“Okay, fine! I'm trying to come up with a good excuse to explain to Gaia why we can't have dinner tonight.”_

Anya says as she leans back in the car seat and Lexa raises an eyebrow at her.

_“You're going on a date with Gaia?”_

Lexa asks a little surprised and Anya shrugs lazily, trying to sound unaffected.

_“It's not a date, it's just dinner. Anyways, it doesn't matter because now Roan is missing and we have reasons to believe he might be working with his mother, so I can't think about going out with Gaia right now.”_

Anya says matter-of-factly but Lexa can hear not only some frustration in Anya’s tone but also some disappointment too.

_“Why didn't you tell me? I mean I could have got Echo or Aden to come with me.”_

_“Because, I want to see this through.”_

Anya replies and Lexa shakes her head as the neighborhood comes into view and she takes a turn to park the car in front of Gustus’ house, technically it is her house now but Lexa can't think about it at the moment. When the car is parked and the engine is killed, Anya gets out quickly and Lexa rolls her eyes but follows her.

_“Look, I know that we have a lot going on right now, but I doubt we can solve this mess tonight. And you're clearly eager to meet the Chief’s daughter outside of work.”_

_“Lexa…”_

Anya says but the detective cuts her off with a stern look.

_“Don't try to bullshit me, Anya, you're interested in her, I can see it in your eyes, and judging by how hard you're trying to find the right words just to tell Gaia that you can't go tonight I would say you're nervous too.”_

_“Tsk.”_

Anya snorts with a roll of her eyes but Lexa crosses her arms stopping at the door and looking at Anya with a defiantly raised eyebrow. The FBI agent groans pinching the bridge of her nose and deflates slightly.

_“Okay fine, I'm interested in her and she throws me off of my game. But that doesn't…”_

_“That's exactly why you're going and that's not up for discussion. Look, Anya, we have everyone on the Kru working on this, not to mention Monty, Raven, Echo, and Bellamy. If we find something here we will have enough people to go through it and put the puzzle pieces together. You're allowed to have some fun too.”_

Lexa says and Anya narrows her eyes at her slightly suspicious of her friend’s unusual good mood, studying Lexa up close Anya raises one eyebrow and smirks.

_“You got laid didn't you?”_

The FBI asks bluntly and Lexa blushes as she turns to the door to put the key in the lock.

_“I fail to see how that's relevant to your date with Gaia.”_

Lexa mumbles turning the key in the lock and stepping inside the house that for now belongs to her.

_“You're bubbly.”_

_“I'm never bubbly Anya.”_

_“Sure kiddo, now let's get what we came here for.”_

Anya says as Lexa walks over to the back door that leads to the basement where the safe is.

_“Sure, the faster we get it the faster you can go to your date.”_

Lexa says casting one longing look around and Anya decides to indulge her friend noticing the slight uneasiness Lexa is showing clearly the result of being inside a house that holds so many memories for her.

_“Fine, assuming that this is a date and that I won't reschedule it where do you think I should take her?”_

Anya asks and Lexa pauses at the top of the stairs that lead to the basement and looks at her friend with a baffled expression.

_“Wow, she really is throwing you off of your game for you to be asking me for advice.”_

Lexa says a small smirk playing on her lips and Anya groans urging Lexa to start walking again. The broody detective chuckles as she blindly reaches for the light switch before turning on the light on the staircase.

_“Why am I even talking to you about this?”_

Anya asks under her breath and Lexa looks at her over her shoulder with an amused expression.

_“Just take her somewhere you feel comfortable and somewhere you like. If you're really into her you should let her know you, and before you complain, I know you, Anya, I know you are guarded more so when you feel like you are out of your comfort zone, but I have come to learn that when you want something to work you have to be open and honest.”_

_“Is this you or your blondie talking?”_

Anya asks with a smirk as Lexa turns on the light on the basement and walks in the direction of a shelf. She places herself to one of the shelf’s sides and pushes it out of the wall with ease to reveal the safe behind it.

_“Whatever!”_

The detective mumbles as Anya steps behind her to look at the safe with interest, her mind is already thinking of places where she can take Gaia but her attention goes back to her friend.

_“You know the combination right?”_

_“What? I thought I brought you here so you could open this for me.”_

Lexa says playfully but starts rotating the handle putting the combination of the safe. After a few soft clicks, a longer one is heard and the door opens and Lexa hurries to go through the contents. Anya can't help but notice a few bundles of dollars but Lexa foregoes those in favor of taking out a few file cases and an external hard drive. The detective and the FBI agent go through the files picking up the ones they need and as soon as they are done, they step out of the house to return to the station.

Lexa manages to convince her friend to go out with Gaia; after all, Clarke was right about one thing: life is too short.

**

A buzzing sound is the first thing the woman notices, the second one is that when she stirs slightly her body aches a little, and Anya groans softly as she tries to stretch her muscles but finds it harder in the lack of space. Opening her eyes to find the sun shining across the space Anya realizes that she's on a couch and it's not hers.

_“Good morning agent.”_

A teasingly sweet voice comes from somewhere and Anya blinks her eyes trying to adjust to the brightness of the living room that she is now coming to realize it is Gaia’s. As she sits up on the couch with a yawn Gaia walks closer and smiles offering a cup of coffee for Anya to take.

_“Urgh, thank you, you're a lifesaver.”_

The FBI agent says, taking a sip from the coffee and closing her eyes at the taste, and then she opens her eyes to look at Gaia. She's not ready for work yet, her hair is slightly damp, and she's dressed in only a black gown that covers her thighs but still leaves a considerable amount of skin on display. Anya gulps as she rakes her eyes over the woman’s body, then her eyes slowly come up to meet Gaia’s gaze, a crinkle at the corners of her mouth and a sly smirk playing on the attorney's lips.

_“I was thinking I would have to perform mouth to mouth on you, but I'm glad the coffee did the trick.”_

Gaia says not taking her eyes from Anya’s hazel ones and Anya feels her skin flush under the intense gaze. Their dinner went incredibly well. Anya picked a simple cozy restaurant with live music Jazz, and although Gaia was dressed fancy, having come straight from work to meet Anya, she was at ease. They made small talk and shared little snippets of their lives and Anya slowly unwind and loose some of the tension of her day. Gaia is funny, witty, and interesting and they found with no surprise that their work schedule didn't always allow them time for themselves and others.

Neither of them made any attempt to talk about work and Anya was more grateful for it than Gaia can know. After dinner, Anya paid the bill under Gaia’s protests and to soothe the attorney's arguments away Anya agreed that on a future occasion Gaia would pay and that for the rest of the night they would head to Gaia’s apartment for drinks. Once inside the woman's place, Anya took notice of the simple decoration. Despite Gaia’s fancy clothes, there was nothing that screamed wealthy or an ostensibly way of living. Anya guessed that despite Gaia’s position at the Prosecution Department her salary wasn't probably that high and for some reason, Gaia’s simple way of living only added to the attraction the FBI agent feels for the attorney.

It was equally surprising to settle on the comfy couch and find that Gaia enjoyed calming nights in with some snarky TV show if the season of Wynonna Earp that she picked up was anything to go by. They had a few more drinks and now that it is morning Anya realizes sheepishly that somewhere along their night together she must have dozed off and Gaia had tucked her in covering the agent with a nice soft blanket.

_“I'm sorry I fell asleep on you yesterday.”_

Anya says realizing what happened the night before and Gaia’s smirk turns to a full wide smile.

_“If it had been anyone else I would probably take it personally, imagining that I was perhaps too boring but knowing everything that it is going on, I can only assume that you had a long day.”_

Gaia replies kindly and Anya nods as she takes another sip of her coffee.

_“Indeed, I must tell you that I was even considering the possibility of rescheduling it.”_

_“I would understand it.”_

Gaia says earnestly as she takes a seat next to Anya and the FBI agent sighs at the floral perfume that hits her senses.

_“What made you change your mind?”_

Gaia asks curiously tilting her head to the side after a couple of seconds in silence and watching Anya over the rim of her mug and the FBI agent shrugs not quite able to meet the dark-skinned woman’s gaze by her side.

_“Someone told me that life is too short to postpone plans and I was interested in spending some time with you.”_

Anya says finally looking at Gaia and the attorney lawyer smiles as she leans a little further on the couch, maybe a bit more than what would be considered friendly.

_“Oh, is that so Agent Wild?”_

Gaia asks teasingly close for Anya’s comfort and the FBI agent gulps but nods, making eye contact with the dark-skinned woman in front of her.

_“No one would have guessed judging by the way you fell asleep yesterday.”_

Gaia says moving dangerously closer to Anya and the FBI agent tries to hide the embarrassment she feels, she shrugs slightly and playfully curling her lips.

_“Falling asleep next to sexy women is part of my charm.”_

The cocky way in which Anya says her words prompts a slight chuckle from the other woman.

_“I think you have to do better next time agent.”_

_“What if I do something better now?”_

Anya asks as she leans even closer letting her eyes drop to Gaia’s lips letting her intentions clear in the way she parts her lips slightly and Gaia smirks slightly letting the mug be forgotten on the coffee table.

_“You can indeed try!”_

As soon as Gaia’s words are out of her mouth Anya’s lips are on hers. Anya moves slightly dropping softly the mug onto the coffee table and placing one hand on Gaia’s thigh, feeling the bare skin under her palm and scratching it slightly as Gaia moans and moves closer placing one hand on the agent's neck cradling her closer. Anya is all but willing to accept the gesture and parts her lips as a tentative tongue darts forward licking Gaia’s bottom lip.

The kiss deepens and Anya suddenly feels the need to be closer to the attorney. Pulling Gaia by the fabric of her gown Anya leans back and Gaia goes with no resistance, placing herself on top of Anya’s body straddling her hips. The growing tension between them is almost palpable when they break the kiss and Anya’s gaze locks with Gaia’s, their lips parted slightly, and Gaia looks down at Anya beneath her. The attorney lawyer licks her lips and bites her lower lip seemingly trying to think about what to do next and Anya’s hands roam over the expanse of Gaia’s hips. Leaning down Gaia kisses Anya’s cheek, letting her lips traveling towards the FBI agent’s neck and Anya moans softly as she pulls Gaia even more into her as if encouraging her to roll down onto her.

Gaia starts rolling her hips slowly, brushing her fingers underneath Anya’s button shirt to graze at the skin softly with her short fingernails. With her mouth still on Anya’s neck and her nails feeling the taut abdomen of the FBI agent Gaia keeps rolling her hips. She faintly registers a part of her mind telling her to go slow, to make sure that for Anya it might be more than just what it is in this moment, but there's another part, the one that's processing the fact that Anya, the usually confident FBI agent is right now moaning because of Gaia, and that part weighs more on Gaia that her usual careful and thoughtful self.

Anya can't help but think that sleeping on a couch is worth it if she has the chance to wake up to this: to Gaia moving against her body as if nothing else was important. The dark-blonde haired woman can’t help but moan at the feeling of Gaia’s lips on her neck as Gaia sucks a spot there and licks it. The agent can't stop her hands from finding purchase on Gaia’s hips and sides, scratching the skin and trailing fingertips with feather-light caresses over the hot and smooth chocolate skin. Anya kisses Gaia’s shoulder and tilts her head nudging her to stop slightly as they lock gazes and Anya swallows hard looking at Gaia’s swollen kissed lips.

_“Erm, do you… Do you think we should stop?”_

The FBI agent asks and Gaia’s eyes flicker with something that Anya can't quite name, surprise perhaps.

_“Are you scared you can't handle me?”_

Gaia asks teasingly just to push Anya’s buttons and the agent tightens the hold on Gaia’s hips as an answer. Gaia gasps when Anya’s fingers travel dangerously close to her rear and the agent cups Gaia’s butt in her hands as if to tell her that she's more than capable of handling her. However, before Anya can move again there's a buzzing sound coming from the coffee table and Anya pauses as she thinks that this is the same sound that led her to wake up in the first place. Glancing over to the table Anya sees the screen of her phone blinking with an incoming call.

Even though the two women are just now starting to get to know each other Gaia seems to read Anya’s body language well enough to see the agent tensing slightly at the sight of the vibrating phone. Scrambling off of Anya’s body Gaia takes a deep breath and tries to calm her beating heart. It's not like she is ashamed of what she was just about to do with Anya, it's just it's not who she is. Surely she is not new to the notion of one night stands, it’s just she’s not one for it, when she felt either alone or on edge she would always pursue someone she knew and rarely would be just a one-time thing. Lately Gaia had settled to blowing off some steam in the gym, when she needed more she was with a work colleague, something that happened over a one night stand that after turned into a sort of deal. Since they are both single, it was a no strings attached kind of thing; the fact that he is a man made it easier and it has been a perfect deal.

However, Anya had caught her eye from the start, the attraction there from the moment their eyes met but there's also something more and Gaia is sure she wouldn't be able to stop if it wasn't for Anya’s phone, after all, she hasn't been with her fuck buddy for a few weeks now, and yet she's somewhat glad that they came to a halt. For some reason, Anya strikes her as different and Gaia is intrigued by her own emotions towards the agent.

Gaia’s musings are cut short when Anya moves from the couch listening to the person on the other end of the line. Judging by the FBI agent’s tone it's something serious because Anya can't help but scratch her neck with a furrow to her brow as she listens to the other person.

_“Alright, I'm on my way then. And Lexa?”_

_“What is it, Anya?”_

Lexa asks as she looks at her wristwatch with a sigh.

_“This can be a good thing kiddo. Thanks for letting me know.”_

As Anya ends the call she turns around to look at Gaia, despite the abrupt end to their previous actions the attorney smiles at Anya gently.

_“Is everything okay?”_

The attorney asks and winces slightly as curiosity gets the best of her and Anya just shrugs with a sigh picking up the jacket from the couch and looking apologetically at the other woman.

_“Not exactly, but we are still trying to figure out this mess. I'm… I'm sorry but…”_

_“You have to leave, I understand.”_

Gaia says and Anya knows she means it; both of them have demanding jobs and although Gaia is a little disappointed she doesn't show it, after all, maybe this is a sign that they should take things slow.

_“Come I'll escort you to the door.”_

_“You don't have to do that, I'm pretty sure I can find my way out.”_

Anya says with a smile but Gaia is already up on her feet with a smile playing on her lips.

_“Yeah, but you know what they say: if you want someone to come back you have to show them to the door.”_

The attorney replies easily and walks to the door and opens it as Anya turns to her and smiles.

_“So… you want me to come back?”_

The FBI agent asks playfully and Gaia winks at her with a small smirk.

_“Yeah, I think we have some unfinished business.”_

Gaia replies, lingering by the door trying to prolong the moment just a bit more and Anya suddenly feels a bit bold. Moving from the door the agent leans in slightly closer brushing her lips against Gaia’s. It's soft, chaste and a brief kiss, and then Anya pulls back slightly to look at Gaia. There's a soft conversation between their eyes and Gaia holds Anya’s wrist gently.

_“I had a great time yesterday. I hope we can do it again.”_

The attorney says in a small hopeful voice and Anya turns her hand in Gaia’s one lacing their fingers just to touch the dark-skinned woman.

_“I look forward to it.”_

The FBI agent says with a flirtatious smirk and then she steps out of the apartment and looks back once to wink at Gaia. Whatever it is that's blossoming between them they seem to be on the same page.

**

_“We have to put everything we know into perspective again. We have to find something.”_

Echo says as she looks at the board covered with arrows, names, a few pictures, and some keywords of their several theories.

_“What did I miss?”_

Anya asks as soon as she walks inside the room and Echo looks at her with a raised eyebrow.

_“Are you wearing the same clothes as yesterday?”_

The FBI agent asks her, observant as always and Anya smirks with a shrug.

_“I fell asleep in the couch and I was too tired to change.”_

_“Sure.”_

Echo replies easily as Luna and Lexa chuckle, but if Lexa is slightly curious about what happened during her friend's date she remains silent. Anya for her part is thankful for it, she wasn't expecting Echo to point out she was wearing the same clothes from the day before but she isn't surprised, after all, part of their daily routine is to pay attention to the details around them. It's not like Anya had time to change as she came straight to the station from Gaia’s house, but she realizes that she could use a shower. After the Mayor got shot she took one in the station and changed to her spare clothes the day before and by the time Lexa convinced her to go out with Gaia she could only be thankful for her insight of always having a sparing outfit in her bag.

_“Any word from Roan?”_

Anya asks as she looks around and Bellamy shakes his head.

_“Not yet.”_

_“What about the prison? Has Miller found anything yet?”_

The FBI agent asks and Luna sighs.

_“He took Raven and Aden there, they're working with Flint to see if they can find something but so far he hasn't gotten anything either.”_

Luna replies as she walks over to her desk slightly leaning and sitting on it and Anya resists the urge to groan. She looks over at Lexa to see her with a pensive expression looking at the board where now a photo of Roan is displayed next to a photo of Nia.

_“What are you thinking about?”_

Anya asks as she walks further forward in the room and Lexa looks at her with a shake of her head.

_“As I told you on the phone, Gustus didn't have anything on Roan, at least nothing we could use now to link him to his mother or whoever is pulling all these strings. And although we know that whoever helped Dax at the courthouse had inside info on the case we know Roan didn't have that information. Echo is right we have to put everything into perspective, we're too focused on Roan, and I want to find him too, but finding him won't close this case when we still have so many loose ends.”_

Lexa says as she takes a deep breath in and Anya looks at her and the board again.

_“So what’s your plan?”_

_“Indra told me that you suspect someone in the Prosecution Department could be working on this. We start with Richard, he is our link to both Dax and Nia, and he was the head of the group who was using Nia’s night club to smuggle drugs, we know that some of his clients were clients of the night club, a high profile night club I might add. None of us here are naive, we know that they are all sorts of addicts out there.”_

Lexa says and Bellamy looks up from Aden’s desk to look at the two women ahead.

_“You think that maybe the mole in the Prosecution’s office is one of Richard's clients?”_

_“It's a possibility!”_

Lexa answers and Anya scratches the back of her head.

_“Still, if it is one of the attorneys they wouldn't be privy to the information about Titus. At least considering that according to what Gaia told us, only Gaia, Ontari, and Russel know all of the details.”_

There's a heavy silence, no one suspects Gaia; that much is certain but the other options are just two and Indra vouched for Russell personally which only leaves Ontari as a possible suspect.

_“Okay, this is what we will do: Bellamy go and work with Monty, dig everything up on Ontari, I want her whole background. Anya you and Echo will go over Richard’s business, I want to know who were his clients and who went to that night club, Luna and I will go over everything we have on Dax and Roan.”_

Lexa says and everyone nods, there's some urgency in Lexa's voice that everyone can hear. The group doesn't waste any more time and start working right away.

It is a few hours later when Bellamy comes into the Kru room with a serious expression on his face and Echo looks at him. The man strides further forward and clears his throat as everyone looks at him.

_“What is it, Bellamy?”_

Lexa asks, taking in the man’s serious expression as he inhales deeply.

_“We found Roan’s car.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo.... What do you guys think of this one?   
> Where's Roan?  
> And our lovebirds? Is this time for good?  
> What about Anya and Gaia?  
> Let me know what you think on the comments below! :)


	14. Decisions and calls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back guys! :)  
> A new update that I hope you like.  
> Okay so side note, this was actually supposed to be the last chapter but well it got soooo long that I had to break it in two. And the next one is the last chapter of this fic.  
> I honestly have no words to express how much this fic means to me and how much it means to me that some of you took time to read it, to leave comments and kudos!  
> It was a fun journey but it wasn't always easy, having so many characters and side stories with side plot twists and the cliffhangers...  
> I mean it was a long hard work for me and also for my friend Jo who has been kind enough to read these long ass chapters and edit them for me!  
> There's still more that I could do with this fic, I wish I had more Murphy on it, more Harper and Lincoln and Octavia... But I had to work in so many other characters and their backgrounds, I hope you noticed that I tried to give as much depth to each character as possible without losing the essence of what they are in the show... With this said there's obviously things I would like to work on the fic, more scenes between Raven and Lexa, Murphy and Emori, or Monty and Harper, even Miller and Jackson! But I'm going to be honest, after more than two years of working on this fic on my spare time and when my inspiration was kind enough to help me, I am more than ready to close this chapter and move to the next one although I will end this fic as I always said I would and on a good note!  
> Jeez this seems like a goodbye but it isn't yet!  
> Anyways the new chapter is out now and I hope you all enjoy it!  
> Keep those comments and kudos coming! I love you all my Clexa friends! :)

**Chapter 14 – Decisions and calls**

_“Are you sure you want to go there?”_

Octavia asks taking a sip of her steaming coffee as she looks at Clarke with a soft expression but also some curiosity.

_“I want to know how he is. I know Lexa won't admit it but she's worried about him too, I don´t expect you to understand it, hell, I don’t understand why I worry but I do. I already texted my mom to tell her we will be going to the hospital. She said Titus is stable and he already woke up, she called Lexa but she is already at the station and she didn’t pick up.”_

Clarke says brushing off the crumbs of her pastry from her fingers and taking a sip of her coffee with a furrow to her brow. Octavia pauses with a pensive careful expression and looks at her.

_“Lexa didn't want to leave the hospital when he was shot and now she hasn’t even been there to visit him?”_

_“I know and it doesn't sit well with me either O, but I won't push Lexa to see Titus, not now after everything that happened. But I can't shake the feeling that something is going on that she isn't telling me.”_

Clarke's words are soft as a whisper and her friend watches as Clarke looks through the window with a thoughtful expression. It's still early in the morning, there's a slight breeze outside but the sun is warm and inviting and Octavia had called Clarke when she knew the blonde was already awake to ask her if she wanted to have breakfast nearby. The blonde easily agreed, there's a weight that has been lifted from her shoulders over her relationship with Lexa, but still, the distant and worried look on Lexa's face, when she came back the day before, was enough for the blonde reporter to know something wasn't right. That feeling increased tenfold when the detective left the bed at 6 am to go to the station.

_“Lincoln was acting all weird too. Do you think they are closer to finding Dax and whoever is working with him? I mean I provided some more names from our files in Nia’s work but Luna haven’t told me anything yet.”_

_“I don't know, but whatever it is going on it’s serious.”_

Clarke says and Octavia nods, they finish their coffees and change the subject of the conversation. Octavia tells Clarke how Lincoln asked her to move in permanently with him soon and in return Clarke tells the younger Blake that she and Lexa are dating. By the time they leave the coffee shop they are more hopeful for the future.

**

_“You found Roan’s car?”_

The curly-haired detective asks as Monty looks at her and then points with his head towards Bellamy.

_“Bell was the one who had the idea.”_

The Asian consultant says and Lexa's eyes land on the older Blake and Bellamy shrugs.

_“Roan has been gone for almost two days, but he took one of the Kru’s cars, I remember that when… When Raven…”_

The man trails off and looks at Luna who nods at him understanding the man's thoughts, Miller probably told him how they tracked Gustus’ car at that time.

_“Anyways since we can't locate Roan through his phone, I thought we could try and locate the GPS on the car.”_

_“He didn't disable it?”_

Echo asks and Monty shakes his head looking at a map where a red dot appears in it, pinpointing the exact location where the vehicle is.

_“No, he didn't, however, the car hasn't moved.”_

_“Where is it?”_

Lexa asks, her voice is calm but her jaw is clenched in tension.

_“On the parking lot of a motel, is not too far from the South Station area where Dax was based in the warehouse.”_

The man says typing some keywords on his keypad and then looking at Lexa once more.

_“I just sent you the coordinates.”_

The Asian man says and Luna looks at him and Bellamy, with everything happening so fast none of them had thought about this possibility but Bellamy did and now they might be one step closer to find their partner.

_“That's great work, you guys did great. Alright, Bellamy, you're coming with us. Let's go Kru, let's gear up.”_

Lexa says and everyone nods as they step out of Monty’s office, they are all more than ready to put the final pieces of this investigation together.

**

The ride through the city towards the motel’s location is made in silence, there's a buzzing tension coming from the Kru members laced with expectation about what's to come. Lexa is the first one to park the car and the others follow suit, parking the cars at the back of the motel and hidden in the shadows as to not give any indication that the police is there. Climbing out of the car Luna adjusts her bulletproof vest and looks around as the others do the same. Luna looks at Lexa who nods at her, Luna is trying to see if her friend wants to take the lead, but the bow of Lexa's head and the soft look in her eyes tells Luna that she can be the one taking charge. And although Luna doesn't quite think that she wants to be a leader she is adjusting to it and it has been easier each time.

_“Okay, guys keep your eyes open; remember that we have civilians here and that they are our priority if anything happens. Echo, take Bellamy and find out where Roan is. We're going to find his car.”_

With that everyone nods and Bellamy follows Echo’s lead, clearly amazed by his girlfriend's ability to stick to the shadows and slipping by unnoticed.

_“Did any of you call Miller?”_

Anya asks looking from Lexa to Luna and Lexa nods.

_“Luna did, on our way here. He wanted to come but we need to know if the prison can give us something so we told him to stay there.”_

Lexa explains briefly and Anya nods as they walk towards the parking lot and survey the cars in it. It doesn't take long for Luna to point in the direction of the black car and they walk in its direction. As soon as they are closer Luna immediately spots one of the glass windows smashed with glass shattered over the driver's seat and some more on the pavement.

_“This wasn't exactly what I thought we would be finding here.”_

Anya says as she rushes over to the car and surveys some of the glass on the floor.

_“The car is unlocked.”_

Lexa says from the other side of the car and Luna nods as she peers closer and frowns.

_“The keys are still in the ignition. Is that blood?”_

The curly-haired detective asks as everyone puts their gloves on, and they start looking around for any evidence that might explain what happened. Lexa opens the passenger door and looks inside taking in the state the car is in, there's a phone on the floor, Roan’s she can see by the color of the device, and some scattered papers beneath the leather seat.

_“Roan’s phone is here.”_

Lexa says and Luna walks around to look at the device with a frown and then she walks around the car again and crouches near the driver's seat.

_“There's more blood here on the floor.”_

The detective says as Lexa and Anya look at her and Anya looks at the car once more.

_“You think it's Roan’s?”_

The FBI agent asks a slight tone of fear in her voice and Luna looks between the car and Anya with a careful expression.

_“Judging by the way the window seems to have been smashed from the outside I would assume so. I'll call Lincoln to have him come with the forensics.”_

Luna informs them and Lexa nods as Anya looks around at the motel and the car once more.

_“What do you make of this?”_

She asks Lexa and the detective sighs as she looks at the blood on the driver's seat.

_“I don't know, Roan must have had a reason to come here, but he didn't step out of this car willingly. I mean he dropped his phone and his files and whatever those contain we need to read them asap.”_

Lexa says and Anya nods looking at Luna as she comes back towards them putting her phone in the pocket of her jeans. All they can do now is to wait; they can't move anything until the forensic team has it all photographed and logged in.

**

Lincoln shows up half an hour later with two other forensics with him. While Anya, Lexa, and Luna were waiting for them Echo informed them that Dax had several rooms rented in his name and that he had paid for them all in advance and in cash. She told them that along with Bellamy she was checking every single one of them.

The first thing Lincoln does after being briefed by Luna is crouch next to the car with a swab and takes a sample from the red dried drops inside the car putting it in a transparent tube with a liquid in it and watches as the cotton turns pink.

_“Okay, so this is blood.”_

The kind doctor says and can't help but grimace when Lexa comes to him with a question he knows he will need to find an answer for.

_“Is there any way of knowing if it's Roan’s?”_

_“Only in the lab. If it is his blood it doesn't seem like he lost too much so my guess is that when the window was broken he was hit by a few shards of glass and cut himself.”_

The man says and Lexa nods, that was their reasoning too. Suddenly Echo’s voice comes through the radios and Lexa stops to listen.

_“Guys, we found the right room and you have to see this. It's room 410.”_

Echo informs them and Lexa tells Lincoln to wrap everything up while they go to the room and meet them there.

**

The curtains are closed and Echo carefully steps inside, her gloves on as she switches the light on and Bellamy whistles from behind her.

_“Wow, whoever was in here had quite a fight and left in a hurry.”_

The rookie says as Echo informs the others and looks around with keen eyes. The bed is a mess of tangled sheets and empty bags of snacks. The table is smashed against a wall and there's a broken chair nearby. There are a few papers on the floor, journals; Echo assesses from the entrance. As she walks further inside the medium sized room she's careful not to touch anything or move anything so the forensics can take photos of the place exactly as it is now.

_“You think this was Roan?”_

Bellamy asks as he observes his girlfriend and takes the same care as she does to not touch anything. Echo pauses and looks around and spots a few half eaten sandwiches in the trash bin. She crouches and makes a disgusted face wrinkling her nose.

_“Although two large and strong people would be able to make this mess I am not sure. Take a look here, what do you see?”_

Echo says pointing to the bin and Bellamy follows his girlfriend’s instructions and looks down. There's at least four half eaten sandwiches with some mold on them.

_“Food for more than one person, already rotten, which leads me to believe that since Roan has been missing for less than two days, someone else had been staying here with Dax for longer.”_

The man says and Echo smiles at him as Bellamy shows that he can be attentive and clever. They look around once more and then footsteps are heard outside of the room as Lexa and the others come in.

It doesn't take long for Lincoln to come to the room bringing the forensics with him and photos are taken, notes are made and finally the detectives can touch the things left behind. Lexa looks at the smashed table and chair and picks up one of the chair’s legs to look at it.

_“Someone was beaten up with this.”_

The detective says and Luna looks at her and at the table.

_“Assuming Roan was taken out of the car unwillingly, we can assume he put up a fight here.”_

Luna says and Anya looks around and then at the curly-haired detective with a careful expression.

_“If that is what happened here it means that Roan isn't working with his mother or her people.”_

The FBI agent says and Luna nods as Lincoln crouches near the bed and frowns.

_“Guys, there's something here. Bellamy, give me a hand to push the bed away.”_

When the rookie and the kind doctor move the bed away, Lincoln points down at the floor and Lexa uses her flashlight to take a better look at it. There's rope and more blood, but what caught Lincoln’s eyes and now Lexa's is that something seems to be written on the floor in the blood.

**I… A… R… I… On…**

Lexa reads it aloud, punctuating each word, or letter and frowns, it seems to be a sentence but the bigger part is erased. Trying to make sense of what's written on the floor Lexa takes a picture and looks at it.

_“My guess is that whoever wrote this was tied to the leg of the bed. Maybe after the fight?”_

Lincoln says as Bellamy looks at the rope and shakes his head slightly.

_“I don't think so, the rope was cut, see there? If Roan was here, he left this for us to find, maybe he cut himself loose and that's when the fight broke out and they had to leave?”_

The man half says half asks and Anya smirks at Echo with a nod.

_“You finally got a clever one, we're keeping him.”_

The FBI agent says playfully and everyone chuckles welcoming the easy joke that eases some of the tension.

_“Okay, let's take another photo of this and make sense of whatever this means back at the station.”_

Luna says and she looks at Lincoln as the man seals a few plastic bags with the leftovers of the sandwiches in it and smiles at her.

_“Do you have everything you need?”_

Luna asks Lincoln at the same time the motel manager comes in to check why it's taking them so long to return the keys. The man gasps at the several people in the room, but when his eyes take in the mess inside the space his veins bulge in his neck. Echo and Bellamy look at Lexa who nods at them and they quickly step outside pulling the man with them and telling him what they can about the case. Then they ask for the surveillance footage and the man blushes profusely explaining that most of the cameras are just for show.

As the team starts to wrap everything up and get ready to leave Luna leaves Echo and Bellamy in charge of going through whatever footage the few cameras that are working might offer.

**

When Miller, Raven and Aden return to the station they feel like they have done the best they could in a shitty situation. They didn’t get the logs but they managed to find the person who took them. It turns out it was a new guard at the time, Patrick Dolls, and Raven quickly tracked him and linked him to Richard and therefore Nia.

Patrick had started working on the prison around the time Roan allegedly went there and when he got Dax’s records he vanished. It is clear that someone is trying to cover their tracks and Miller is more and more inclined to think that Roan was framed this entire time and with this new knowledge comes a wave of relief that the man highly appreciates.

They step inside the station and Raven goes straight to Monty’s office, despite the fact that she enjoys working with Fox, all evidence they got from the warehouse led them nowhere and Raven upon the news of Roan’s possible involvement in the case wants more than ever to be helpful in the search for answers.

Miller and Aden climb the stairs to the Kru room to find it still empty. The detective frowns and goes down again leaving Aden looking carefully at the board. Approaching Sergeant’s Plat desk Miller looks at her with a careful expression.

_“Sergeant, the others haven't returned yet?”_

He asks and Plat sighs with a shake of her head.

_“Not yet, but Chief Indra wants to see you.”_

The woman says and Miller nods and climbs the stairs again, going back to the common room he shrugs his jacket off of his shoulders and goes to see Indra. Aden looks at him but remains at the same spot looking at the board. The several desks have piles of reports and files and Aden looks at his desk that is currently being used by Bellamy and then looks at the board with Gabriel’s photo on it.

Frowning slightly, Aden walks around the room glancing at the several files until he finds the one he wants. Then he walks out of the room and in the direction of Monty’s office and knocks on the door. Monty’s peeks over his shoulder munching a gummy as he picks another one from the plastic bag and tells him to enter. Aden does so and Raven looks at him.

_“What's up Aden?”_

The Latina asks, noticing how Aden blushes slightly almost as if he isn't sure of what to say or is just too shy to say it. There's something about Aden that Raven likes very much, maybe it is the fact that Aden tries his best to hold on to some childlike innocence, or naivety, and Raven, being a big child at times too, now more than never can relate to that, considering the things they see in their job.

_“I was just thinking, according to Gabriel, the gun he used to shoot the Mayor was given to him by Dax.”_

The young officer says as Monty and Raven turn their attention to him and Aden takes a step further to place a file on Raven’s desk.

_“However, this gun still has the serial number, which means we can track it. With everything going on, there are so many leads and theories and facts to pursue, we didn't think about it. But I'm wondering… why would Dax give a gun that could be easily tracked? He has been so careful until now that it doesn't make sense… Unless…”_

_“Unless he didn't know the gun either and was just following the latest orders he got, he didn't know it was traceable.”_

Raven says catching up quickly with Aden’s reasoning and he nods.

_“Can… Can one of you guys try to track it?”_

Aden asks and Raven looks from him to Monty and his computer screen and then to Aden again.

_“I'll do it. You can keep digging in those files Monty, I got this.”_

Raven says, flashing a bright smile at Aden who thanks her and leaves the room, just to go and fetch some things to work on in Monty’s office. He returns to the Asian’s man office soon after and settles on the comfy couch. Monty is already typing on his keyboard with his headphones on, and Raven is doing the same with her wireless earphones.

**

Miller walks back to the common room to find it empty, he frowns but then spots a post-it on his desk from Aden to let him know he is with Monty and Raven if Miller needs him. The man smiles and grabs his phone checking his messages before sitting at Roan’s desk to snoop on his computer for more info on what Roan was working on before he disappeared. His phone vibrates in his hand with a message from Jackson to check in, Miller replies and Jackson sends another text to tell him that at the end of the day he will give Nathan a nice massage to help him relax. Miller blushes but can't hide the eagerness to have some quality time with his boyfriend. They have been taking things slow but the chemistry between them is undeniable and Miller quite often thinks that the highlight of his day is when he has some quality time with the doctor.

As Miller starts working he tries to go over everything the team has found out, Dax is a pivotal character in the investigation, but who he really needs to find is the person behind him.

It's a while later when the rest of the team returns and when Miller's tired eyes lift from the papers to the faces of his friends he can't quite read the emotions they are displaying. As everyone settles in, Luna and Lexa start to tell Miller what happened and although there are still some gaps in the case the pieces they have are slowly but surely coming together.

**

The environment of the hospital is busy as always, and Titus can see it through the open door of his room. His body is aching and his mind is groggy with medication but he smiles when a familiar face walks inside the room with a clearly not authorized visit.

_“Hey Junior, how are you buddy?”_

The man asks as Caris looks at him and over his shoulder as doctor Abby nods slightly.

_“I'm sure I don't have to tell you that your dog shouldn't be here Mayor, but your friend here can be quite persuasive, and your dog too.”_

Abby says with a shake of her head and a fond smile and Titus nods moving in the bed to try and grab a glass of water, it's quite difficult with all the wires and medical equipment attached to him but Abby is quick to come further into the room and help him out.

_“Thank you doctor Griffin.”_

The man says genuinely as Caris walks tentatively with Junior on his leash and the dog whines as he hears Titus's voice.

_“Come here buddy. Is Caris taking good care of you?”_

Titus asks as the dog places his front paws on the bed wagging his tail at Titus.

_“I'm really sorry that I had to burden you with him.”_

Titus says as Caris comes closer and shakes his head with a fond smile scratching the dog’s ears.

_“My daughter loves him. How are you feeling?”_

The man asks and Titus looks down at himself and up at Caris again.

_“Lucky. I feel really lucky.”_

The man says and Abby watches the interaction with interest, Titus is known for his formal conduct, he is even sometimes perceived as cold at some moments and yet all she sees now is a regular man happy to see his dog and his friend, which undoubtedly are like family. And if Abby had to guess she would assume that Caris most likely is his only friend.

_“Well, I'm happy to see you awake and responsive Titus. We just came by to see you and for you to see that Junior here is being good taken care of. I will come by later on so we can talk a little more, but for now I think it's better if I take Junior for a walk before we go home.”_

Caris says gently and Titus nods saying goodbye to his dog and smiling with a thanks at Caris as the man moves closer to place one hand on Titus’ shoulder to give it a comforting squeeze. Titus almost feels like crying at the friendly gesture and watches as his driver walks out talking to the dog much like Titus does too.

A few moments in silence pass as Abby makes sure everything is working properly around Titus until a knock on the door is heard and a blonde head is peeking inside looking at Abby with a frown.

_“Mom? Can you tell me why a dog is walking around the hospital?”_

Clarke asks and Titus chuckles before he can stop himself and the blonde looks at him completely surprised.

_“I'm afraid that it's my fault Clarke, but please come in.”_

The Mayor says and Clarke shares a surprised look with Octavia who nudges her further forward and stays behind.

_“You too Miss Blake, you can come inside.”_

Octavia’s eyes widen at the friendly invitation and she walks inside the room looking from Clarke to Abby to Clarke again and then finally at the Mayor.

_“Octavia is just fine, Mayor.”_

She says and Titus nods as he blinks a little still clearly shaken by the medicine running through his body.

_“Well then you may call me Titus too. Are you two here for a follow up on the news?”_

The man asks but his tone is not bitter or judgmental, instead it's just tired and curious and Clarke shakes her head.

_“We came to see how you are feeling?”_

Clarke says and Titus nods dropping his eyes closed as if he is trying to fight the heavy sleep he feels.

_“I'm alright, considering the circumstances. How is Lexa? Did they get the person who did this?”_

Titus asks as Abby and Octavia look at Clarke and the blonde smiles, she doesn't have it in her to tell Titus that Lexa isn't his concern.

_“She's working on it, I'm sure she will come by once she's able to.”_

Clarke says gently and Titus despite his grogginess snorts slightly.

_“I doubt that.”_

The man says and Clarke softens at the pain she can see in the man's sleepy gaze.

_“I know things aren't exactly as we would like them to be, but she still cares, in her own way she does.”_

Clarke says softly not only out of the need she feels to defend Lexa but because she knows her well enough to know it is true. Titus nods once and it's clear now that he is getting too tired to speak.

_“I think we should go so the Mayor can rest now, I'll come back later.”_

Abby says looking from Clarke to the Mayor and the man doesn't protest, he offers the blonde and her friend a weak smile and a thank you before lying back down again in the bed as the women walk out of his room. Once outside Clarke turns to her mother with a curious expression.

_“Thank you for coming, both of you. I don't think he has many friends, in fact only one person came by to see him, and it was the man you saw with the dog.”_

Abby says and Clarke nods, despite everything that has happened she can't hate Titus, at least not after all the man went through the day before and this new knowledge just deepens that feeling of compassion.

_“He was kinder than I expected; I don't know what drugs you are giving him but they surely are strong.”_

Octavia says jokingly and Abby looks at her, there's some sadness in her eyes that Clarke picked upon as soon as she walked out of the man’s room.

_“Is there something else going on with him?”_

Clarke asks and Abby stops in her tracks looking at her daughter and at Octavia with a sigh.

_“I shouldn't be telling you this, but one of the bullets hit Titus’ kidneys, we got it out but the damage to one of his kidneys was pretty much irreparable and the other is failing too. I'm afraid that he will need a transplant sooner rather than later. I'm meeting with my team now to discuss his condition and decide the best course of action but I fear that a transplant is our best chance.”_

Abby explains and Octavia gasps as Clarke nods, the older Griffin places one hand on Clarke's shoulder and squeezes it slightly with her motherly gentle smile.

_“I know this is a lot to take in, but everything will be okay, I will personally check with my team all the possibilities we might have. I tried to call Lexa earlier but she seemed busy.”_

Abby says and Clarke nods as they restart walking.

_“She has a lot on her plate.”_

_“I understand, and I'm really sorry I am adding more to it, but if you speak to her, tell her please that I need to talk to her. I think… I think I know who leaked the information about Titus’s paternity test.”_

Abby says and now is Clarke's turn to stop in her tracks and look up into her mother's eyes, her mother nods and Clarke sighs. As much as she wants to ask her mother for more details she feels like Lexa is the first one who needs to hear whatever her mother has found out.

_“I'll call her. Thanks mom.”_

Clarke says leaning in to hug her mother as Abby smiles and kisses her daughter's hair and then hugs Octavia too before walking away in the opposite direction.

**

_“So Roan wrote that?”_

Miller asks as Lexa places a photo on the board and by now there's barely any space left on that side of it.

_“We can't say for sure, but this is definitely blood and we are assuming that Roan didn't go willingly judging by the window of his car.”_

Lexa explains and Anya nods as she steps up and looks around.

_“We're getting closer. But there are still two questions we have to find an answer to: what was Roan doing there in the first place and where did Dax take him after they left the motel room?”_

Anya says as Miller picks up a file from his desk and looks at its contents.

_“Okay, so if I have this right you guys suspect that Dax was with someone else in that motel room right? Our best guess is that it's the same guy who took the logs from the prison. Patrick Dolls, who was a former associate of Richard. Both Dax and Dolls are connected to Richard and Richard is connected to Nia.”_

Miller says as Lexa mulls over his words and looks at the board thinking carefully about every single piece of this puzzle.

_“We already established that someone from Nia’s inner circle is pulling the strings, but what if it's Nia herself?”_

Lexa says and Echo looks at her with a nod.

_“Okay, we're listening, what is your theory?”_

Echo asks and Lexa looks around the room and at the board as the theory comes to life in her head.

_“We've been thinking that someone wanted to try and get Nia out of this trial unscathed. But let's think about all of this for a minute. Since the bombing at the courthouse until Titus's speech it doesn't feel like someone was trying to buy the justice system, it actually feels like someone was trying to buy some time.”_

Anya nods as she starts to follow Lexa’s theory.

_“You think Nia is behind this, to get time during the trial, placing herself as a victim to throw us off all the way having time to…”_

_“Plan the perfect escape.”_

Anya and Echo say at the same time and Lexa nods as Luna looks at the board and sees how well Lexa's theory fits in, since the beginning it felt like someone was throwing them off of their game with no particular intention, but if Nia is the one behind this it makes perfect sense, especially because after Pike’s murder the case has to be assigned to another judge and that is taking some time.

_“Okay, uh guys, I'm not saying that your theory isn't correct but there are three things that don't fit totally.”_

Miller says and Lexa looks at him waiting for Nathan to continue and he does so using his fingers to keep the count.

_“Okay so first Nia was hurt during the bomb going off, we know she wasn't seriously injured but the device was really close to her, I was there and my first thought was that she got lucky. Secondly we still don't know how she got the knowledge about the Prosecution’s plan. And thirdly, what does she want with Roan? I mean assuming she is indeed thinking of running away she can't seriously think Roan will go with her!”_

As Miller points out his doubts Lexa's phone rings and she checks it with an apology to see a message from Clarke, it's quite vague saying that her mother wants to speak to her and the brunette feels tempted to ignore it when a second message comes and she reads it twice.

_“I have to leave.”_

Lexa says as all eyes turn to her and she sighs.

_“I'm going to the hospital; it won't take long, meanwhile try to find the answers to Miller’s questions, if we want to close this case we can't leave loose ends.”_

_“Do you want me to go with you?”_

Luna asks softly and Lexa shakes her head, Clarke's messages brought a thought to her mind that she still needs to tell her team about her relationship with Titus but for now she wants to know what Abby found out.

**

As Lexa drives through the city her mind is a whirlwind, everything is spinning fast in her mind as Lexa keeps her eyes on the road ahead of her and thinks over her conversation with Abby. It turns out that the person who leaked Titus’ paternity test works in the lab, Paul Stewart, and he is the son of Teb Stewart, Nia’s lawyer. It didn't take long for Raven to find out that Paul has a record of gambling debts, over a year ago he was in deep shit but he managed to pay it all off. Now it seems his old bad habits are surfacing again and he is once more in debt. Lexa quickly did the math, Paul must be Nia’s acquaintance somehow and he must have asked for money from her in exchange for information.

It is still unclear to the detective if Teb was actually part of the scheme but Paul is undoubtedly the one who leaked the information about Titus having a daughter. However as Lexa drives towards her destination she can't help but think of the second part of her conversation with Abby. Titus’ kidneys are failing and he needs a transplant and Lexa despite her hurt and her previous words to the man, told Abby to run some tests to see if she's compatible. Abby couldn't hide her surprise and once more she felt a rush of love for this woman that despite her cold façade hides the purest and caring of hearts Abby has ever seen.

Lexa parks her car outside the familiar building and looks around with a heavy sigh, she needs to do this and although she would like it to be under different circumstances, too many things are happening at once and she has to deal with them all at the same time. Lexa takes the keys out of the ignition and climbs out of the yellow sunflower car locking the door and then crossing the street to the other side. The sun shines bright in the sky but the sidewalks are almost empty; it is way past lunch time when Lexa pushes the wooden door open and is greeted with soft music and the muffled conversations of a few patrons. Redemption’s Bar always gives her a sense of comfort and calm but at the moment Lexa can't shake the feeling that her life might change forever.

Lianna smiles at her from behind the counter and Lexa walks up to her with a fast beating heart. Lianna takes in Lexa's serious face, she knows her niece well enough to see that something isn’t right and her smile falters as she takes in her niece's sad eyes.

_“Lexa, dear, you look tired, have you been eating? Do you want me to ask Murphy to make you something to eat?”_

Lianna asks in her motherly tone and Lexa almost feels like crying. Will Lianna see her differently once she knows the truth? The question has been haunting her since she found out the truth. At the expectant gaze on her aunt’s face Lexa shakes her head with a soft tired smile.

_“No, I'm good, is Emori here?”_

_“Yes, she's upstairs getting ready for a job interview tomorrow, would you like me to call her?”_

Lianna asks rather carefully and Lexa once more shakes her head.

_“No, I think it's best if we go upstairs, there's… There's something I have to tell you both.”_

Lexa says, heart hammering in her chest and pounding in her ears and Lianna nods as she calls out to the waitress to tell her that she will be back shortly. Lexa follows her aunt and soon enough they are in the small living room in the apartment above the bar. Emori seems to read Lexa's uneasiness quickly because she immediately drops her notes and takes a seat on the couch besides her mother as Lexa paces on the available space in front of them.

The muffled sounds from the bar drift towards them but Lexa ignores it. It takes a while before she finds the right words to start but Lexa manages it, words weren't never her strong suit, emotions weren't always her strongest point either but she does tell Lianna and Emori about Titus and she tells them about his love story with her mother and the paternity test. By the end of the story Lexa has tears in her eyes and her hands tremble at her sides as she apologizes for something she is not to blame for.

Lianna is quick to react, her own eyes prickling with tears as she gets up from the couch and walks towards Lexa to hug her fiercely, pouring all her love for Lexa in her tight embrace.

_“Oh honey, why would you apologize for something you didn't even know?”_

Lianna says as she steps back and cradles Lexa's face in both her hands rubbing her thumbs over her niece’s tears.

_“I am so proud of you Lexa, of both of you.”_

Lianna says looking from Lexa to Emori and to Lexa again.

_“I couldn't ask for better daughters and I can't possibly love you more than I do. You're as mine as Emori. In here…”_

The woman says placing one hand over Lexa's beating heart with a tender smile.

_“Being the Mayor’s daughter won't change the love I feel for you. I took you in and loved you as if you were my own. My only regret is that I couldn't always be the example you both deserved and that you had to lose so much in your life and having so much thrown against you, even now. If I could go back in time I would change so many things, for you, for Emori, but I wouldn’t ever regret having taken you in.”_

Lianna says with tears in her eyes and Lexa hugs her aunt once more, she isn't usually so affectionate with people, but she always felt safe in Lianna’s arms, and in this moment she's just thankful for the love she can hear and feel in her aunt’s voice and actions. They step away slightly and Lexa looks at Emori who is sitting on the couch with her arms crossed over her chest and an unreadable expression on her face.

_“Emori, aren't you… Erm… Aren't you going to say something?”_

Lexa asks as her blood turns cold in her veins at her cousin's expression and Emori gets up from the couch slowly and looks at them seriously as Lianna still has one arm around Lexa's shoulders.

_“Are you two done with your hugging or are you going to stand glued to each other all day? Do I fucking have to buy a ticket to hug my dumbass of a cousin slash sister who's apologizing for no particular reason?”_

_“Emori, language!”_

Lianna says but the three women start laughing and crying as Emori hugs Lexa tightly saying that Lexa will be always a big sister to her. Lianna prepares some tea while they talk and dry their tears, Lexa asks Emori about the interview and her cousin tells her that Rost called her again; then she asks Lexa if she had any part in it and Lexa shakes her head telling her that she didn’t even know Emori was thinking about working with him, which is true. In return Lexa surprises everyone, herself included, when she talks about Clarke and how things are going well between them.

They stay together for a while drinking tea and Lexa finally musters the courage to tell about Titus’s transplant and both Emori and Lianna can't hide the surprise at knowing that Lexa is very much inclined to do it if she’s compatible.

When Lexa is finally composed and ready to leave they hug each other once more and Lianna makes Lexa promise she will bring Clarke for dinner soon. As Lexa steps out of the bar and takes her sunglasses from the leather jacket she is ready to go back to the station and talk to her team and go over the case, despite the fact that there are still doubts and uncertainties about it Lexa feels lighter than ever before.

**

_“Guys, I have something for you!”_

Raven exclaims as she walks inside the Kru room with confidence as if she has been working there for years not months and Anya walks out from the lounge room with a bottle of water in her hands stopping to look at Raven, and everyone turns to look at her too.

_“Aden pointed out that the gun Gabriel used to shoot the Mayor had still the serial number and although it seemed partial in the photos I tried to track it, I used the… You know what it doesn't matter, what's important is that I was able to find its source.”_

Raven says as she opens the file in her hands and pauses slightly as Anya sits down at her desk. The Latina looks around and frowns, she expected Lexa to be there already since it has been over an hour that they spoke on the phone.

_“Okay, we're listening.”_

The FBI agent says and Raven grins letting her attention come back to the task at hand.

_“As you should, okay as I was saying I could track the gun and it turns out this gun was considered evidence brought to court during that “red drug” case that was going on a few months ago. After the trial and considering that there was no longer the chance to have any appeals the gun was scheduled to be transported from the police station evidence room to the government facility for destruction. And then the gun mysteriously disappeared.”_

_“That's interesting.”_

Anya says and Raven shrugs slightly with a shake of her head.

_“No, this is where the story gets interesting; do you guys want to know who the Prosecution lawyer was on that case?”_

Raven asks pausing for a few seconds in her dramatic way of creating suspense and Luna looks at her from her desk.

_“Ontari Storm, she was the one dealing with the case.”_

_“Wait! Are you saying or implying that Ontari took the gun?”_

Echo asks as she pushes her chair back from her desk and gets up from it and rounds the desk to lean on it as she looks carefully at Raven.

_“Oh, I'm not implying, the files don't lie. Ontari was in the evidence room just a few days before the gun was found to be missing, her name is on the log entrance and her face is on the CCTV footage from the station entrance. I mean do any of you believe in coincidences? Coz I sure as hell don’t!”_

Raven says as she hands Luna the file in her hands and a voice comes from the entrance of the room.

_“Let's pay Ontari a visit then.”_

Lexa says as Anya looks around and nods at her as she gets to her feet and grabs her phone and wallet from her desk.

_“I'll text Gaia to let her know we're on our way.”_

The FBI agent says and Lexa raises one eyebrow at her playfully.

_“What? I just don't want to have misunderstandings between us.”_

Anya says and Lexa smirks with a shrug and they leave the room as Raven looks at Luna.

_“What was that about?”_

_“Our agent has the hots for the Chief’s daughter.”_

Luna offers as an explanation and Echo looks at them both with a smirk.

_“So Gaia is the couch.”_

Echo says and everyone laughs at her words but Raven, who just looks confused, for once in her life not being able to catch onto whatever it is that's going on. Echo seems to understand it though coz she moves from her leaning position on her desk and smiles at the Latina.

_“Anya is wearing the same clothes from yesterday, when I pointed that out she said she was too tired and slept on the couch. Now either Gaia is the couch or Anya actually slept on Gaia’s couch which makes this all even funnier.”_

Echo explains and Raven chuckles amused by Anya’s antics as Luna touches her forearm gently to get her attention.

_“That was great work.”_

_“Yeah, as much as I enjoy taking credit for my genius ideas this one is all Aden though, I just had to follow the leads.”_

The Latina says and Luna smiles with a nod, as everyone waits for Lexa and Anya to come back with Ontari they decide to keep going through what they already have, the theory makes perfect sense but there are still gaps in it that they need to fill in order to find Roan and put Nia away for good.

**

_“Soooo…”_

Lexa draws out the word slowly as she drives through the city once more and Anya looks at her out of the corner of her eyes.

_“What?”_

_“Oh don't what me Anya… You know exactly what I want to know.”_

Lexa says playfully and Anya groans, not sure if she's embarrassed by the way she's clearly so invested in Gaia to the point of wanting things to go slow or because Lexa is assuming something happened between them.

_“We had a good time, a really honest good time, Gaia is interesting and funny and I was at ease with her, surprisingly so. We went to her place afterwards for drinks and then… uh… I… urgh… then I fell asleep on her couch.”_

Anya says and Lexa gasps, choking on her laugh as she tries her best to not close her eyes in laughter at her friend's admission while driving.

_“I can't believe you. I'm sure she found that charming.”_

Lexa says still chuckling and Anya glares at her as she fights back a blush.

_“Hey I was tired ok? And… well she didn't kick me out, instead she just let me sleep and I don’t know… Maybe it didn’t go that bad as I thought.”_

_“I’m sure it wasn’t too bad for her to be waiting for us at the building’s entrance.”_

Lexa says and Anya turns her head to the right to see Gaia leaning on the wall with her sunglasses on and an espresso in her hand. The car stops and Gaia lifts her gaze from her coffee to look at it, she immediately pushes herself from the wall and walks towards Anya and Lexa.

_“What’s going on?”_

Gaia asks looking at the two women and Anya looks at Lexa who takes a deep breath and takes a step further.

_“We need to speak with Ontari.”_

Lexa says and Gaia looks at her and shakes her head.

_“Yeah, I got that from Anya’s message but why?”_

The dark-skinned woman presses further and Anya nods at Lexa who locks her gaze with Gaia’s brown curious eyes.

_“We found out that she’s connected to the gun used to shoot the Mayor, Gabriel, the man who shot him is connected to Dax who is linked to Nia and…”_

_“And therefore Ontari is the mole who has been feeding information to Nia.”_

Gaia easily finishes Lexa’s reasoning and both detective and agent nod as the attorney runs a hand through her hair.

_“Well things seem to be coming full circle now, Ontari had a court session earlier today and she should have been back by now but she hasn’t showed up yet. What do you need?”_

Gaia asks and Lexa and Anya share a look as Anya steps towards Gaia and looks around as if to make sure no one is in the vicinity to hear them.

_“We believe that Nia was buying time to run away, we don’t have a warrant and my guess is that your mother will have a hard time getting one in time considering how immaculate Ontari’s work was until now. We could however go in with you and we could see if we find something in Ontari’s office.”_

Anya says softly knowing that what they are doing is completely off the books, bothering illegal and Gaia seems to take a few minutes to think about the woman’s words, then takes a deep breath and nods. She can get into trouble if Russel finds out, but she trusts Lexa and Anya to know that if they are asking for her help it’s because they have no other way at the moment.

_“Alright, but if we’re doing this we need to be careful, Ontari doesn’t have a private office, we all… well we all share a room much like you guys at the station. Her desk is right beside mine though so we can just pretend that I’m showing you something about the case while you try to snoop on her laptop.”_

The attorney lawyer says and Lexa looks from Gaia to Anya and then at Gaia again with a sigh.

_“Well that’s not ideal but we will make it do. Thank you Gaia.”_

The three women walk inside the building and climb to the first floor where Gaia’s office is, as Lexa steps in she notices two things, the first is that after driving around through the city for what seemed like hours she welcomes the fresh air coming from the air-conditioning; the second thing she notices is that the room is indeed much like the Kru room, but the desks and the elements in them are fancier. With one look around Lexa notices the tall glass windows providing much needed light and luckily most desks are empty, Gaia provides an explanation for it saying that some of her colleagues are out at the courthouse and others had court sessions and went for a late lunch. Still there’s still at least two other people in the room and Anya shares a nod with Lexa to tell her that they need to be careful because more people can come in at any time.

Lexa and Anya walk casually towards Gaia’s desk and the Chief’s daughter points to Ontari’s desk, it’s pristine and almost immaculate and Anya looks from the desk and leans further towards Gaia to speak in an almost whispered tone.

_“Does she always leave the desk so organized?”_

Anya asks and Gaia looks at the desk as if noticing it for the first time how clean and tidy it is and then shakes her head slightly as Anya pulls one chair to sit next to her and Lexa takes Ontari’s one.

_“Not usually, unless she knows she won’t return, which it shouldn’t be the case today because Russel asked us for a meeting at the end of the day.”_

Gaia replies in a whisper too as Lexa tries to use the laptop left on the desk, she opens it and turns it on and while everyone else seems to not be paying attention to her she opens some of the drawers to look for something. The laptop is a dead end, Lexa needs a password but without Raven’s or Monty’s help there’s nothing she can do because Gaia has no idea what the password might be. There’s a notebook in one of the drawers with yellow paper and some ripped pages and Lexa places it on the desk and looks at the marks on the pages, with a pencil she rubs against the paper until a few words appear and then slides it towards Anya.

_“That’s the address of the motel where we were this morning.”_

Anya hisses and Lexa gets up and walks towards Gaia placing one hand on the woman’s shoulder and leaning down slightly so only Gaia can hear what she’s about to say.

_“We’re taking this notebook with us, thanks for your help once more Gaia.”_

Gaia nods at Lexa’s words and as the detective starts to walk away Anya pauses next to Gaia and grabs her hand squeezing it slightly with a soft smile.

_“As soon as we know more I’ll call you okay? Thank you, I know that turning on a colleague is not pleasant but trust me you did the right thing here.”_

The FBI agent says gently and genuinely and Gaia nods thankfully, she can only hope that what she just did won’t get her into trouble.

**

The sun is setting on the horizon and Clarke is pacing in Lexa’s living room, Lexa texted her earlier telling her that she shouldn’t wait for her coz she was stuck at work. The blonde can’t help but have a bad feeling for some reason, her mother had called her during the afternoon to tell her that Lexa was waiting on her results to know if she was compatible with Titus for the kidney’s transplant and although Clarke wasn’t completely surprised by it she was still apprehensive and wanted to talk to Lexa but the detective is still working and Clarke can’t do anything about it.

The feeling that something wasn’t quite right only deepened in Clarke’s chest when she realized that she hadn’t talked to Roan in a few days and that Raven seemed too busy to meet her and Octavia lately. It has been two days since she found out that Titus was Lexa’s father and one day since the man got shot, but somehow it seems like a whole week has passed by and the blonde feels tired.

As the day is coming to an end Clarke busies herself in Lexa’s house with mundane tasks, she makes a list of things they need from the grocery store and changes the bedsheets; she puts the clothes in the laundry and prepares a batch of clothes ready to wash. While doing so the blonde turns Lexa’s MP3 player on and connects it with the Bluetooth sound base and finds herself humming to the rock blues songs from Lexa’s playlist. As the blonde walks around and sways to the music she can’t help the smile that graces her face, she misses her apartment, her spare painting room and the vibrant colors of the pillows on her couch and decoration. But this, this is Lexa’s space and the detective is completely fine with sharing it with Clarke and the blonde can’t help but think that the reserved and closed off detective has almost always have been willing to show and share her privacy with Clarke.

After living alone for so long, to have someone in her apartment like this, to be open and vulnerable and share her intimacy with Clarke it’s sign of how deep Lexa’s feelings are for her and Clarke loves Lexa even more for it.

While checking her shopping list and looking at her wristwatch Clarke decides to go to the grocery shop near Lexa’s apartment, it’s a small one and Clarke found it by accident but it will be enough to provide the blonde with the most urgent things she needs. Going back into Lexa’s bedroom Clarke puts on one of Lexa’s faded hoodies, it’s worn with a fading quote about amazing people needing coffee that makes Clarke smile, the hoodie has a hole in the sleeve near the wrist but it’s still comfortable and smells like Lexa. Grabbing her keys and wallet Clarke picks up the MP3 player and pairs it with her headphones and leaves the apartment in search of food.

It doesn’t take long for the blonde to get what she needs from the store, undoubtedly thanks to the list she wrote previously and as she leaves the store, she waves at the old woman inside. Clarke smiles as she thinks about her future with Lexa, she wonders if Lexa will buy a house once she sells Gustus’ one and what it will look like, and if she will think of them when she buys it. Images of a house with a comfy living room and Clarke and Lexa cuddling on the couch fill her mind and the blonde’s heart threatens to burst at the thought of a future where they will start their own family.

As the blonde walks back to the apartment she can’t help but think if Lexa will ever want kids, nothing about the brunette’s demeanor has indicated such a thing but Clarke can’t stop herself from daydreaming about it. She wanders around the apartment putting things away in the cupboards and fridge with her headphones still around her neck.

As Clarke moves around in the kitchen to put items away she keeps swaying to the music streaming from the headphones around her neck, she feels all her previous dread vanish. Once she is done she checks the time once more and wonders if she should make something for dinner or not, she's not particularly fond of the idea of cooking just for herself and she wonders if Lexa will want to eat something once she is home. Clarke's musings are cut short when her phone rings from the pocket of the hoodie and Clarke picks it up to see a number she doesn't recognize. A wave of dread runs through her as the bad feeling she was having an hour before returns once more tying her stomach in a knot. Cautiously she accepts the call and brings the phone to her ear.

_“Hello?”_

She asks tentatively as the person on the other side of the line takes a deep breath.

_“Clarke, is that you?”_

A muffled gruff voice comes through the speaker and Clarke narrows her eyes. She tries to make sense of the weird noises she's getting from the call.

_“Clarke?”_

_“Roan? What's… what's happening?”_

The blonde asks trying to snap back to reality although the muffled sounds of bumps and sharp breathing from the man on the line don't make much sense. The man takes a deep breath and Clarke steadies herself for the worse.

_“We… I don't have much time Clarke, take your phone to Lexa and call this number as soon as you're with her. She will know what to do.”_

Roan says as another bumping sound is heard and the man curses in a way that makes Clarke think he is wincing.

_“Wait, Roan why are you calling from a different number? Where are you?”_

_“I… Clarke, look I don’t know, just please get Lexa.”_

The man says in a whisper and Clarke can positively say she never heard Roan sound so desperate, whatever is happening is definitely not good.

_“Okay, okay. Roan wherever you are just stay there, I'm going to get Lexa's help.”_

The blonde reporter says as she ends the call and looks around looking for her car keys, she walks towards the rack near the door and takes the keys from her blazer pocket, then she grabs the keys to Lexa's apartment and clutches the phone to her chest as she all but runs down the stairs.

**

The night is slowly but surely falling around Boston, casting a soft blue light over the city as the city street lamps come to life. In the room of the Intelligence Kru the lights are on including the lamps of each desk and the members are trying to find the missing pieces of the puzzle.

_“Guys, I reckon that it's time to take a break and eat something.”_

Bellamy announces as he walks further inside the room with Aden and everyone sighs in relief. The two officers start to distribute the meals for everyone as Monty and Raven join them after a text from Aden to let them know they were arriving from Redemption’s Bar with food for everyone.

Lexa picks up her burger and her fries and walks back to her desk, Raven joins Luna at her desk, Bellamy sits down with Aden, and the others make it work around the available desks and chairs. The first minutes pass by in silence as everyone relishes in a nice meal. Lexa is almost halfway through her dinner when her phone vibrates on the desk, still munching on a mouthful of the amazing burger she looks at the screen to see that Clarke is calling her, she sighs and decides to eat the rest of her meal and call Clarke after. The blonde probably wants to know when Lexa is going home, and although Lexa desperately needs the blonde after the day she had she fears that she won’t be able to focus once she speaks with her.

However, it doesn't take long for the phone on her desk to ring and Lexa places the burger down, although reluctantly she wipes her lips and her hands on the napkin and picks up the phone to hear Sergeant Plat telling her that Clarke is downstairs asking to see Lexa, for what Plat could gather is rather urgent.

Lexa frowns as her body tenses with worry and tells Plat to buzz Clarke up. It doesn't take long for the blonde's steps to echo on the wooden stairs as everyone looks at the entrance of the room to see Clarke walking in with hurried steps and a scared expression. Lexa immediately stands up and walks up to her brushing her hands on her jeans and looking carefully at Clarke.

_“Clarke? What's going on? Is everything alright babe?”_

The detective asks and the blonde swallows as she walks towards Lexa slowly and shows her the phone.

_“I'm… I’m not sure. I… Roan called me… I don't recognize the number but… But I'm sure it's him. He didn't… He didn't seem well Lex, he told me that he didn't have much time and that I should come to you... He told me to call him again and that you would know what to do.”_

Clarke says all at once and takes a deep breath afterwards as Lexa picks up the phone and turns around to look at the faces of everyone in the common room.

_“Monty, Raven, can you guys track the call?”_

The detective asks and Raven throws the last piece of her sandwich into her mouth and wipes her hands as she gets up she nods looking at Monty and walking towards Lexa and Clarke.

_“Sure thing. We just need to get our equipment, right Monty?”_

_“Yeah, and if Roan picks up it won't take long, we just need to have him on the line for a few minutes.”_

The Asian man says as he gets up and grabs the trash from his dinner to put on the bin and then everyone follows suit. As they walk inside Monty’s office the man sends Harper a quick message to assure his girlfriend that he is okay but working late. Anya looks at Clarke with some apprehension in her hazel eyes.

_“Why did Roan call you instead of one us?”_

_“Anya you're not thinking…”_

_“Despite what we saw earlier it can still be a trap.”_

Anya says cutting Echo’s words off and Lexa looks at them and Clarke.

_“Clarke and Roan are training buddies.”_

_“Yeah? But still…”_

Anya trails off as Luna looks at her and Clarke again and the blonde frowns.

_“A trap? Why would it be a trap? What's going on?”_

The blonde asks confused as to why the Kru is doubtful and Luna sighs.

_“That's a long story, but there's only one way to find out what's going on.”_

Luna says as Lexa nods and they pile inside the large office, there's tension in the air that even Clarke can feel. Whatever it is that it's going on she can see that the Kru is worried by the looks on their faces. Monty and Raven quickly set the equipment up, plugging a cable into Clarke's phone and motioning for Lexa to come closer. The detective picks up the phone and looks at Clarke and the blonde nods and takes a step towards her, unlocking her phone before giving it back to Lexa who quickly goes through the incoming call list and presses the call button putting the phone on speaker. The call doesn't ring twice before a muffled voice comes through the speaker.

_“Clarke?”_

_“It's Lexa, you're on speaker Roan.”_

The detective says as she hears a sharp intake of breath and a few bumps with muffled curses.

_“Lexa, I don't have much time, it's… We’re moving… it's… Ontari is here, I don't know where they are taking me.”_

Roan says as Raven and Monty type a few commands on the keyboard and Raven looks at Lexa.

_“We need a couple more minutes to pinpoint the signal.”_

The Latina says and Lexa nods as she looks at the screen of Clarke’s phone.

_“You heard her. Roan, keep talking and keep on the line, what's the last thing you remember?”_

There's another sound that seems like screeching wheels on the road and another loud thud.

_“Fuck my head. Lexa wherever I am, we left the road, it's too bumpy. Look I don't know… What's going on… I got a tip about a motel and when I got there two guys grabbed me and took me to a room. I heard them say that someone was calling the shot and that they wanted to see me, after that, I put up a fight, I lost but I grabbed this phone from one of the guys as Ontari came, and not long after I blacked out. I woke up in the trunk of a car and that's all I know.”_

The man says between ecstatic and gasps as Monty flashes a thumbs up towards Raven.

“Gotcha.”

The man says and Raven opens the map on the bigger screen as she tries to make sense of the location and everyone waits in silence.

_“He is moving to the outside of town. There's nothing there.”_

Raven says looking at the map with a frown and Aden clears his throat slightly.

_“I think… We said that Nia wanted to escape, that all of this was to buy time so she could run away. That part of town, there's an old hangar there she must be planning…”_

_“To fly out of town.”_

Lexa finishes for the young officer and Aden nods as Lexa turns around to look at the phone.

_“Roan, whatever happens, don't play the hero, we're on our way.”_

Lexa says and the man mumbles something as a loud thud is heard and then again the sound of screeching of wheels is heard and then silence follows. They must have reached their destination because there's a clicking sound and Roan groans in pain as another loud noise is heard.

_“What do you want from me?”_

He asks and his voice seems to sound distant now.

_“He must have dropped the phone so we can have an idea of what's going on.”_

Raven says and Clarke once more feels her body being engulfed by a wave of dread. Lexa turns around and takes a deep breath jutting her chin upwards.

_“Gear up people. Raven as soon as you are sure that they are not moving again send us the exact location, come on people we don't have any time to lose.”_

Lexa says and everyone nods and starts to walk out of the room, Lexa watches as Clarke hovers there shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Attuned to the woman's worry Lexa takes a few steps towards her and holds one of Clarke's hands in her own, lacing their fingers with a gentle tug.

_“Everything it's going to be alright. We're going to get him back.”_

_“I… I didn't even know that Roan had been taken…”_

_“I'm sorry, I didn't want to worry you, but I have to go now.”_

Lexa says and Clarke nods in understanding, she looks into green forest eyes and squeezes Lexa's hand.

_“I know, I don't want you to go but I know you have to. Just… please be careful.”_

Clarke says in a whisper, it's not the first time she had come to realize how dangerous Lexa's job is, obviously, but that doesn't make it any easier.

_“Hey, don't worry babe, you're safe here and I'll be okay, it's our job and we know what we're doing.”_

Lexa says softly and leaning in to press a chaste kiss on the blonde's lips. Lexa then looks at Raven and sighs.

_“Keep an eye on her.”_

_“I've got you covered hotshot.”_

Raven replies easily and Lexa nods and walks out of the room as Clarke rolls her eyes at Raven’s smug grin.

**

By the time the Kru arrives at the hangar in the outskirts of Boston the sky is already pitch black. There's no sign of Roan and Raven had told them the signal was lost a few minutes after they left. There's an old large building on the horizon and the place is clear and perfect for a small plane to land and take off. The Kru parks their cars in a safe distance, just like Roan had said the road was bumpy and there's not a single person in sight.

_“Okay, how do you guys want to do this?”_

Bellamy asks tugging his bulletproof vest on and checking his ammo. Lexa looks at her team and then around to make sense of their environment and surroundings.

_“We have to be smart about this. We know that Dax is here and we can assume Patrick Dolls is also here, but if Nia is planning to fly out from here we have to assume that she has more people here too.”_

Lexa says and Anya nods and looks around as Luna fetches her phone and opens the satellite photo and information of the place that Raven and Monty sent earlier.

_“Okay, the good news is that the surrounding area, the bushes, the trees and in the darkness we will be able to approach the hangar relatively easily and unseen.”_

Luna says and Lexa nods as she looks around, they have safety in numbers, but they will have to make teams to cover more ground, she looks at the photo on Luna’s screen and frowns.

_“We should spread and approach from the back and the front sides; that's the best way to get closer to the building without getting lost in the forest; there are also small trails here. According to Raven since the place was closed kids come here to ride bikes and bicycles, so trails are easily spotted. We will get closer to the building to see how many people Nia has here and where Roan is. Anya, you take Bellamy and Echo and go to that way. Luna and Miller, you stay with me and Aden. Keep your eyes open and we will only act once we know what we're up against.”_

Lexa says and everyone nods and then they blend into the forest in the direction of the hangar. Just like they expected the forest has trails and marks of wheels, some fallen trunks along the way, but the crescent moon gives them a little clarity to move through the forest with relative ease despite the growing tension.

As Lexa leads her team she looks ahead and easily sees light coming from the hangar. As Raven suspected the place must have a backup generator, even though it has been abandoned for years and that the forest has started to reclaim the space with vines climbing up the walls and branching out over the windows it is still a somewhat functional space for someone to escape. Some of the windows are broken but some remain intact, but even the broken ones are so high that there is no chance of the Kru getting through them.

They round the building towards the back, the structure doesn’t have many doors except at the large entrance and a couple of back doors and that’s where Lexa heads to search for an opening without being seen, considering the building’s architecture it seems to be a two-floor building with no windows on the lower level which is perfect for the team to move closer to the walls and look for a way in.

Aden taps Lexa on the shoulder and points to a ladder; it looks like a fire escape ladder, which leads to an upper level at the back of the building. Lexa nods as they come closer and look around for any men on that side of the structure.

_“Anya, what's your status?”_

Lexa asks in a whisper through the intercom in her wrist as she hears a muffled sound that sounds like Anya is crouching somewhere at the other side of the building.

_“We have eyes on the front door, we can see two armed men at the door, the plane is already on the landing strip but there's no signs of Nia or Roan, although we can’t see the inside of the building from here.”_

_“Okay, we're going to use an outside ladder as leverage to try and get in, Roan must be inside the building.”_

Lexa says as they make their way towards the ladder, Miller boosts Aden up, so he can unlock the ladder for the others and after struggling for a few moments the metallic structure slides down. Although the rusty ladder makes some noise no one inside the building or guarding the perimeter seems to notice or pay attention because no one appears and Lexa, Luna, and Miller silently climb up the ladder after Aden. The balcony isn’t large but is just enough for the four of them to fit on. Aden is already trying to open the door but the damn thing is locked.

Luna motions with her head to the broken window just above the door, Lexa looks up and nods at Luna as Miller places himself beneath the window, and laces his fingers together to give one of his partners a boost so they can get through the window. Luna lands softly like a cat on the other side, and adjusts the earpiece of her intercom, she looks around and makes sure it’s all clear and then goes over to the door and unlocks it from the inside. The room seems to be a sort of control center from when the hangar was still working but now everything is broken and covered in dust. There’s an open door to the right which leads to another similar office and another one leads to the inside of the hangar.

Lexa takes a few steps towards the door to see that on that level of the building there’s nothing much but there’s an iron structure that seems to be walkway to get around, it almost looks like a balcony on the inside of the building but goes around the back of the building and then goes halfway to the left side and all around on the right side. Several offices were located on that high level and luckily the balcony has metal sheets except for a few missing ones that will help the team to crouch and hide.

Lexa looks around and with a gesture of her hand tells Luna to check the other available room; Luna assesses it easily so that they can sneak through both offices to spread out covering more space. She beckons Miller closer to tell him to take that side with Aden and Lexa remains in the same position waiting for Luna to follow her. As Lexa slowly walks out of the door the detective spots a set of stairs leading down but decides that they will remain on the same level for now.

As Miller crouches forward out of the office he looks down to the lower level. There's an old plane there probably stripped of any important equipment, just the shell of it and there are some people there. His stomach ties itself in a knot at the sight of a beaten up Roan tied to a chair with a scowling Dax looking at him.

_“Guys, I have eyes on Roan.”_

Nathan says as everyone listens to him with bated breath, the echo of the voices on the lower level is loud enough to make Miller's whisper go unnoticed.

_“How many people can you see?”_

Echo asks and Miller looks around with a frown.

_“Only three, I have eyes on Dax, Patrick, and Ontari.”_

_“We should wait for Nia to arrive to catch her in the act.”_

Luna says and Lexa nods as she looks at Miller and Aden on the other side of the platform.

_“You two stay up here, we'll go down.”_

The broody detective says in a whisper through the device and starts walking in the direction of the stairs, the metallic surface doesn't make a sound as both detectives go down and quickly search for cover behind anything that is close by. Lexa hides behind a big old machine as Luna crawls towards the plane.

_“Guys, there's movement outside. Two cars are heading in your direction.”_

Bellamy says after what feels an eternity, his voice drifting through the intercoms as Lexa adjusts hers in her ear and waits in silence. It has been more than half an hour since they got into their hiding spots, it's a little after 10 pm and Lexa looks ahead to see two SUVs parking diagonally inside the hangar. The doors open and four men wearing black suits climb out of one of the cars, all of them have guns clipped to their waists and one of them opens the remaining car door for a woman and as soon as she is out she looks around and then nods at the driver of the other car. Five more men climb out of the other car, four of them are wearing black suits and also have guns, and the remaining man clearly stands out with his light gray suit with a blue tie.

The woman looks at Roan as she walks up to him and even from a distance Lexa can see her surprised face.

_“What is the meaning of this? I told you that I wanted him unarmed.”_

Nia says her voice cold but not enough to hide the anger at seeing her son beaten up. Dax shrugs casually as he looks at Roan.

_“He put up a fight.”_

The man says casually as if it meant nothing and Nia fixes him with an impressive piercing cold stare that renders the man frozen to his spot.

_“Mother, we don't have time for this, he is here now and we should get this over with and move on.”_

Ontari says, her voice is almost as cold as Nia’s and the older woman looks at her unimpressed by it.

_“Ontari, you would do better remembering your place in this organization, you're still not the one who is calling the shots here even if you tried to.”_

Nia says as a heavy silence settles around the two women, Roan looks up at them as Ontari tenses slightly and takes a step towards Nia.

_“Mother, I told you it was an accident…”_

Ontari says as Nia lifts one hand in her direction and Ontari falls silent.

_“I'm sure it was but don’t underestimate me Ontari.”_

The woman says trailing off sarcastically at first but offering a pointed look in Ontari’s direction, then she lowers her hand and looks around at Roan once more.

_“I always admired your ambition Ontari, that's why I like you as a daughter and shaped you to take my place when the time comes but Roan is my blood and even if he is a disappointment in many ways I still love him and I want to say goodbye to him before I leave.”_

The woman says walking towards Roan’s direction and answering Ontari’s and Roan’s silent question about why he is there.

_“You… you will let him live?”_

Dax asks dumbfounded at what is happening, he thought that Roan was just another target, one that maybe Ontari wanted to take out personally considering that it was Ontari who always gave him the orders and that she went to pick him up at the motel. Now he sees that the picture is bigger than what he anticipated. Nia looks at him with a blasé expression and lets out a hollow chuckle.

_“Of course I will let him live. He's my son; he will be knocked out, and I will be long gone by the time he comes back to his senses and he has no idea where I'm going.”_

The woman says as she walks up to Roan and lifts his chin with a cold hand, anger and hurt flashes through his eyes and Nia seems to be apologetic when her eyes travel from his black bruised eye to his busted lips and the gag in his mouth.

_“I'm sorry it had to come to this.”_

Nia says looking at Roan with something akin to regret and sorrow.

_“If only you had followed my orders and listened to me when I told you to, none of this would have happened.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh... Oh! Ups!  
> Is this a cliffhanger? Ahaha!  
> Thanks for reading and let me know what you think! :)


	15. Bullets and words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey peeps! Welcome back! :)  
> Wow we're here, the final chapter of this fic!  
> Let me start by saying that working on this fic on the last two years was equally a challenge and a passionate work. I want to thank every single one of you who have been here and I really hope you guys have enjoy it!  
> I'm a little emotional to see my baby coming to an end especially in the same week the show ended too!  
> It feels like the end of a cycle but let me tell you right now that I will upload a small epilogue in the next few days to wrap everything up! :)   
> Well there's not much to say, only that Clexa will always be in our hearts and that we will always know Lexa deserved better and we did it on our fictions!   
> Stay safe guys!

**Chapter 15 – Bullets and words**

_““If only you had followed my orders and listened to me when I told you to, none of this would have happened.”_

Nia says, the disappointment clear as day in her voice as she turns around looking at the place where she finds herself in and then at Roan again as the man tries to speak but every word gets muffled and stuck behind the gag and Nia looks condescendingly at him.

_“Take that off of him.”_

_“Ma’am, are you sure?”_

Dax asks and Nia fixes him with a cold stare as she moves one arm outstretching it nonchalantly, gesturing to the space around them.

_“Even if he screams do you see anyone here to help him? Didn't I make myself clear? Take it off.”_

The woman in the blue dress commands and Roan can see the regal posture that it is so his mother, Dax looks at Patrick who nods, and although reluctantly Dax moves towards Roan taking off his gag.

_“What am I doing here mother? What do you want from me?”_

Roan says spitting out some blood as he looks from Ontari to Nia and Nia sighs almost if she is bored with the question.

_“I already told you, I want to say goodbye and tell you that I made some arrangements for you, after this…”_

Nia gestures vaguely once more as Roan frowns at her, tired and angry as he puts the pieces together and his mother continues speaking.

_“You won't have to worry about working as a detective anymore.”_

_“It was you that put my name on those prison logs.”_

Roan says, and it's not a question, it's a statement and Ontari looks from Roan to his mother still trying to understand the woman’s motives.

_“Ah, yes your name is on those logs, you see, I'm just making sure you have a future. Ontari don't understand why I did it. But I know you always wanted to have your own business and now you can. After this…”_

_Nia gestures to herself and Ontari before looking at her son once more._

_“Everyone will think you were helping me but I made sure that you won't face any jail time. Isn't that right Mister Teb?”_

Nia says as if she is talking about a business transaction and Roan’s and Ontari’s eyes fall on the poised lawyer in a gray suit as the man nods, taking his cue to address the subject he previously discussed with Nia.

_“That is correct.”_

The man says addressing Roan as he takes a few steps in his direction giving him an almost sympathetic look, from her covered position Luna can’t help but think that the man looks much less strong and secure than he was in the courthouse.

_“You see detective Roan, your mother made a generous money transfer to your account and although the act is suspicious there is no way to trace the money back to its source, and the fact that the prison logs mysteriously disappeared from the prison makes it impossible to link you to it. I will however admit that the suspicions will be enough to force you out of the Police Department but the important point is that there’s no further evidence that connects you to your mother’s escape even if your name is tainted by it.”_

_“Minor details Mister Teb, I'm sure my son won't miss being beaten up to a pulp.”_

The woman says condescendingly and she speaks as if Roan losing a job he loves is a minor incident then the woman turns to her son once more and smiles, it's a sickly sweet smile that makes Roan bristle in anger.

_“I didn't ask for any of this. How could you do this?”_

The man asks and something akin to hurt flashes in Nia’s eyes but she masks it right away as she juts her chin higher before looking at Roan once more.

_“You won't have to worry about getting shot while pretending to be a hero Roan. I raised you to be better than that, even if you don't want to admit it.”_

Lexa looks at Luna and they can't hide the astonishment at what they are hearing. Lexa looks up to see Miller looking down at Roan with a pained expression, and Aden seems to be taking everything in, Lexa can only hope that the young man doesn’t feel overwhelmed with everything that is going on.

Roan is still tied up, his slumped shoulders an indication of how incapable of moving the man is. His hands are tied behind his back and there is a rope tied around his ankles. Lexa knows that moving now is not an option, there are five of them and eight armed men, and not to mention Ontari and Nia could also be hiding weapons, with Roan tied up any reckless action can put him in danger. There is also the fact that at the building's entrance there are two more armed men. They need to be wise and quiet.

**

Anya and Echo watch from the bushes as the pilot and co-pilot walk towards the plane probably to check everything before the flight and start the engines. They silently watch as the men enter the plane and leave the two other guards at the hangar’s entrance, they are armed but there's a window for them to act. With Bellamy providing coverage for them and the two cars parked diagonally at the large entrance the line of sight from the people inside is cut off.

Moving closer Echo looks around and quickly comes up with a plan. It's risky but they have no idea what's going on inside the building and if they delay any more they might lose their chance. The cockpit is facing the opposite direction of the hangar’s entrance and that means that if Echo and Anya are fast enough they can take down the two men at the entrance and then move with Bellamy to the plane to restrain the pilot and his co-pilot.

Anya seems to make the same assessment as Echo because she taps on the brunette’s shoulder and gestures with her hand to the two men indicating that she will take the one on her left and Echo the one on their right. Bellamy watches in awe. They have the element of surprise and the cover of darkness. However, they will have to be quick and move in as one. Echo nods and Anya watches her as she walks in her crouching position to have a better point of approach.

_“This is taking forever. You think the boss is second-guessing this escape?”_

One of the men asks and the other shrugs casually as he looks at the plane. Bellamy whistles from a few feet away and allows Echo to quickly move around the bushes as she comes closer to her victim, like a tiger circling her prey. The two men lift their gaze to look around with a frown and Anya nods as they come from behind the men and grab them, choking them slightly to knock them out. The element of surprise is enough for the two guards to be taken aback and soon after their bodies are slumping heavily to the ground. Anya and Echo drag them out of sight and restrain them with their handcuffs. After taking the guard’s guns and phones away, the two FBI agents look around to make sure they did it stealthy and no one noticed them.

From the inside of the building, there are some raised voices, one sounds familiar and Anya thinks it must be Roan but they need to incapacitate the pilot and co-pilot first. Making sure that no one can see them from the inside of the building Anya walks towards the plane and climbs the stairs. She can hear voices from the cabin where the cockpit is and she places one finger in front of her lips telling Echo to keep quiet and the woman nods. Bellamy follows them, keeping an eye for anyone who might come over for some reason. The two FBI agents open the door as the co-pilot looks at them with wide eyes.

_“What? Who are you?”_

The man asks as Echo points a gun at him and when the pilot turns around Anya hits him on the head with her gun. The co-pilot gasps and before he can scream and alert the others Echo does the same to him. They drag them onto the floor from their seats and after looking around Echo throws some tape at Anya who quickly uses it to restrain the two men’s wrists and feet, and then covers their mouths with the tape too.

_“We’re clear for now.”_

Bellamy says and Anya nods as she grabs her phone. Taking advantage of the relative safety the plane provides Anya calls for backup and then thinks of briefing Raven too.

_“What's going on?”_

Anya hears Clarke's voice when Raven picks up the call and sighs, after what happened with Cage she can understand the woman's worry and the edginess to her voice.

_“We have everything under control Clarke; we're just following the protocol.”_

Anya says, trying to reassure the blonde unaware that in Monty’s office Clarke is almost creating a hole on the floor from pacing from one side to the other.

Once outside of the plane Bellamy sees one of the guards coming out from the inside of the building, the man lights up a cigarette and frowns when he looks around and doesn’t see anyone. Bellamy nods at Echo and Anya as if to tell them that he will take this one on his own, Echo looks at him jerking her head to her left and Anya understands what she’s trying to say, Bellamy follows the direction Echo told him to take and he puts some distance between them, now is Echo who whistles to call the man’s attention.

They wait in silence and Bellamy stops closer to the man and his heart beats faster in his chest in anticipation, he can’t mess this up, not now. At the sound of the whistle, the man’s frown deepens as he blows the smoke out of his mouth and starts walking in the direction of the sound. The man looks around and unlocks his gun at the same time Bellamy approaches him and when the man feels a presence behind him he tries to turn but the rookie is already pointing his gun at the man's head.

_“Don't do anything stupid if you want to keep your life. Drop your gun, now!”_

Bellamy says as the adrenaline courses through his body, his voice is threatening and the man nods as he lets his gun fall on the floor and Echo appears in front of him with a smirk as the man looks at her confused and scared and Bellamy knocks him out by hitting the back of the man’s head with his gun. The man falls onto the floor, the sound thankfully muffled by the grass and Anya comes to help as she uses the same tape as before to cover his mouth and Bellamy uses his handcuffs. After restraining the man and preventing him from speaking in case he comes round the two FBI agents and Bellamy approach the building once more and hide behind the walls at the entrance.

_“We took care of the two guards outside, the pilot and co-pilot are out cold too and the guy that just came out smoked a cigarette and decided to take a nap. We called for backup and we're going in.”_

Anya informs the Kru, and the tone of her words is just a trait of the FBI agent that everyone understands is a deflective mechanism to hide the woman’s concern. Bellamy watches as Echo and Anya lay on the floor and crawl in the direction of the two cars to hide behind it. They work in sync and the rookie can’t help but think that he can only hope to be at their level one day. Once inside the building Anya looks around and spots Miller on the top level the man nods and points in the direction of the machine where Lexa is.

There's a buzzing tension oozing off from the members of the Kru, it's now past 11 pm and Anya knows that if the pilot was already in the cockpit it can only mean that Nia was about to take off at any moment which means that sooner or later they will notice that the plane is not ready to take off. They have to act but Roan is still tied up and Dax is still too close to him and Lexa takes a deep breath and looks around to come up to a plan. She realizes that she needs to move to her left side and try to catch Roan’s attention somehow.

The hangar, despite old is large and is filled with old machinery and equipment, desks, plane benches, and old metallic and wooden boxes. Some of the items were vandalized over the years but there’s plenty of space for Lexa to try and approach her partner. The detective moves slowly and silently to her left and crouches behind a metallic desk with drawers that cover her whole body. Nia is still talking and Roan almost as if sensing that he is no longer alone looks around and spots Lexa, the brunette moves her head slightly to the right and nods as to tell Roan to prepare himself for the action and the man offers her a weak smile and an imperceptible nod.

Lexa sighs and puts her thumb up and Miller nods and signals for Aden to get ready too. Nia and Teb are a few feet away from Roan, Ontari is slightly behind the detective and Dax is the one closest to him, Patrick is closer to Dax and therefore Roan but Luna can easily aim at him, fast and quick if it has to be. As Lexa unlocks her gun Roan moves his chair backwards abruptly putting as much distance as he can between Dax and himself, the sound of the chair scratching the floor takes everyone by surprise as they look at Roan and Lexa stands with Luna at the other side.

_“Drop your weapons and get on your knees.”_

Lexa says as she points her gun at Nia as everyone looks at Roan and every member of the Kru appears from behind their cover, Nia seems to be taken aback by the sudden appearance of the police and Teb visibly pales at Lexa's words. Ontari however, moves towards Roan yanking him up from his chair the heels of her expensive shoes giving her a slight advantage to put her left arm around his neck as she takes a small revolver from her coat and presses the barrel to Roan’s head. Nia’s eyes follow her movements and her jaw twists and clenches in anger.

_“Ontari, you're surrounded. There's no way out.”_

Luna says from Ontari’s right side and she turns around to face her as she presses her gun forcefully onto Roan’s temple and the man winces slightly.

_“If you want your friend to live, you will go lower your guns and let us walk out of here.”_

Ontari says and her voice sounds as cold as ice and her face is unreadable, if she was caught by surprise and if she’s slightly taken aback or scared she isn’t showing it, she isn’t showing any emotion and there's a beat in silence as everyone takes her threat heavily pondering their actions. Ontari Storm is more dangerous than the Kru anticipated and judging by the stronghold she still has on Roan she’s not afraid or concerned about pulling the trigger and to get her hands dirty although pulling the trigger is going to make her lose her leverage.

_“Ontari, don't do anything stupid. I might have forgiven you for the courthouse but I won't forgive you for this.”_

Nia says, taking a step towards them and Ontari doesn't flinch, she simply smirks maniacally.

_“Do you value his life more than mine mother, over your own freedom?”_

Ontari asks as Roan looks from his mother to Lexa and then to Nia again.

_“He is my blood; I don't expect you to understand that at your young age with no children of your own. Lower your guns.”_

The woman says looking back to her men and watching as some falter and lower their guns slightly.

_“You see, this is your mistake mother, you're too weak to do what you must.”_

_“I didn't get to where I am by being weak Ontari.”_

Nia says coldly and Ontari shrugs one shoulder slightly with a smirk playing on her lips.

_“Maybe but you won't stay on your pedestal much longer.”_

Ontari says as she points her gun at Nia and pulls the trigger without blinking in indecision or regret. Roan gasps as his mother's body stumbles backwards with one hand over her chest, Nia looks from the blood in her hand to Ontari, a flash of hurt and betrayal clouding her gaze as she hits one of the walls of the plane and slides down onto the floor. After that it all happens too fast, one of Nia’s men points his gun towards Ontari as another falls on his knees close to the woman trying to contain the bleeding.

Ontari pulls Roan with her as a shield onto a narrow passage between the shell of the plane and an elevator as Lexa watches horrified, her friend all but stumbles in the woman’s grasp and she hadn’t even noticed the elevator that now allows Ontari to try and escape to the entrance, and the machine blocks Miller’s any chance of aiming at her. One of Nia’s men fires his gun but misses and Ontari stops when she sees three other people behind the parked cars.

_“There’s nowhere to run. Drop your weapon and get on your knees now.”_

Anya says but Ontari just smirks as she presses her gun to Roan’s head and clears her throat.

_“If you want to stay out of jail, kill them all.”_

The woman shouts and Nia’s men look at her and then at the police, it’s not a request it’s an order but even so, the men hesitate enough for Ontari to think of a plan B, she pushes Roan away from her and the man turns around to see Ontari pointing the gun at him and pulling the trigger. It’s chaos after that, Teb takes the opportunity to make a run for it and as Roan crawls towards his mother, Anya, Echo and Bellamy stand shocked at the coldness of Ontari’s actions and the despair in Roan’s movements. Nia’s men hesitate for a moment and Ontari takes advantage of the cops' stunned reactions to run out of the building and out into the night.

_“Anya, go after the lawyer. I'll take Ontari.”_

Lexa says as Nia’s men seem to conclude that they are on their own and seek cover before they start shooting at the other people inside the hangar. Lexa moves at the same time one of the guys climb inside the plane turning slightly inside to be protected by the metallic shell and aims at her, Aden shoots at him hitting the metallic surface making the man cower inside but another guy jumps out at Lexa from behind her and Bellamy shoots him in the leg from behind one of the car’s open doors. Lexa didn’t even notice him until she heard him groaning in pain clutching his leg and falling at her feet, she looks around to see Bellamy nodding at her and urging her to run. She does it but before she kicks the man in the face to stop him from trying to grab her.

_“Go, don't let her escape.”_

The rookie says and Lexa at Bellamy’s words sprints off passing by the sets of boxes and old machinery as the sound of guns being fired mix with her friends’ voices telling the men to stop and surrender. Once close to the cars Lexa spares a glance back and her eyes land on Roan as the man reaches his mother.

Luna jumps from behind where she was hiding and crouches next to Roan quickly cutting the ropes that were preventing him from moving freely.

_“Mother?”_

He asks as he ignores his blood soaking his dirty shirt and Nia looks at him with glassy eyes.

_“I'm sorry Roan; this wasn't what I had planned.”_

The woman says and the man grabs his mother's scarf and puts it on her wound, the man who was with her having all but surrendered the fight.

_“Hey, hey, it's okay mother, you'll be okay.”_

The man says as the Kru keeps slowly but surely restraining Nia’s goons one by one and Nia smiles weakly at him bringing a bloody hand to cradle his face.

_“Always the stubborn hero, we both know that this is the end of the line for me. I was planning it to be a beach in Mexico drinking margaritas but I guess I won't make it there.”_

_“No, no, stay with me mother.”_

Roan begs with tears in his eyes, shaking his head and Nia lets out a humorlessly chuckle.

_“We both know that I rather die here than go to jail Roan. And I would rather stop your bleeding than survive you and watch you die in front of me.”_

Nia says as Roan feels his breathing starting to become shallow as a wave of cold envelopes his body. Nia gives him a soft sorrowful smile as the commotion dies down and Roan’s body slumps against his mother’s.

**

The commotion in the building echoes through the night, away from the city the noise seems daunting but Lexa can't go back inside, she needs to stop Ontari and she smirks slightly as she watches her a few feet away from her running towards the plane. Lexa realizes Ontari doesn't know that the pilot is out cold and that no one can fly the plane. She pushes forward running in Ontari’s direction but the woman looks over her shoulder and before she climbs the stairs she aims her gun and shoots two times. Lexa dodges the bullets by throwing herself to the floor and Ontari takes advantage of the detective’s delay to climb the stairs.

_“Get this fucking thing in the air now.”_

Ontari all but shouts as she strolls through the narrow corridor of the plane, if it was for herself she would have picked something with more class, perhaps more space and fewer seats but Nia had told her that they couldn't use something like that, they had to travel incognito and that meant a low budget plane that doesn't seem to be even working properly or it would have already the lights on and the engines roaring to life. Ontari pauses midway, it's silent, too silent and once she gets to the cabin of the cockpit she realizes why. The crew is knocked out cold and tied up.

_“Fucking assholes. Wake up.”_

She says between gritted teeth slapping one of the men in the face but he doesn't move.

_“Give up Ontari you're not going anywhere.”_

The woman turns around to see Lexa standing there, her face cold and serious and Ontari lifts her gun and points it at the detective.

_“I might not be flying to Mexico tonight but I will not let you stop me.”_

Ontari says and doesn't even give Lexa time to think as she fires her gun, and as Lexa hides behind one of the rows of chairs two shots are fired, and then…

Click…. Click.

Lexa does the math quickly, Ontari is using a revolver, and it was bound to run out of ammo rather easily and she already used the six bullets. Ontari realizes this too because she throws the gun in Lexa's direction when the detective stands, Lexa dodges it only to stand once more and watch as Ontari gains momentum with her arms supporting her weight on the benches and propelling her legs kicking Lexa on the stomach and making her fall backwards.

Lexa lands on her back with a groan as her gun slides across the plane floor and Ontari uses the detective’s distraction to get out of the plane. Lexa quickly stands up, she should try to get her gun but it's dark and if she loses sight of Ontari she won't be able to track her in the surrounding forest. They haven't seen the car in which Roan was in earlier, but Lexa knows that is where the attorney lawyer is going and knows she can’t let Ontari reach the car.

As Lexa all but jumps down the stairs that connect the plane with the ground she looks ahead and focuses on Ontari, the attorney is running in the opposite direction from which Lexa had come from with her team hours before. Ontari is stronger than her lithe frame lets on but she's wearing heels, and Lexa is painfully aware of them because those damn things had dug into her body like knives and Lexa faintly register the possibility of those evil things having cut through her skin but doesn’t stop to check it.

She doesn’t have time to dwell much on it because Ontari is still ahead of her but Lexa is wearing her casual work outfit and if the heels of Ontari’s Louboutin could work as weapons they weren’t made for an escape in the woods and the detective has the advantage of mobility in her sneakers.

The night is calm and the sounds of the hangar are not as loud as before which allows Lexa to focus on her thoughts. Not second-guessing herself the broody brunette takes a deep breath as she launches herself forward and throws herself at Ontari and grabs her jacket. Ontari gasps at the sudden movement as they fall on the floor and one of Ontari’s heels break.

_“Fuck. These are very expensive shoes.”_

Ontari says annoyed as Lexa rolls on the floor and makes a movement to stand, Ontari rolls on her back and when Lexa comes closer she moves one of her legs, hitting Lexa from behind on the leg and throwing her off. The attorney then lifts her body quickly and comes to stand over Lexa. Their eyes meet in the dark and they sparkle like fire. Ontari’s eyes look almost black in the night and her face is a mask of coldness, she grabs the collar of Lexa's jacket and pulls her up slightly to punch her and the detective realizes that Ontari has some fighting training.

Lexa gasps, as one of Ontari’s fists, hits her jaw and tries to move but the attorney's grip on her is quite strong and with Ontari straddling her on the floor she doesn't have much margin to move. Lexa's right-hand grabs Ontari’s left one and she pulls at the woman's thumb twisting it painfully. Ontari lets go of her with a groan of pain and Lexa uses her body to roll them over but Ontari tugs at Lexa’s hair pulling her away and even from the awkward position she manages to slap Lexa in the face.

They breathe heavily and Ontari stands up cradling her left hand in her right one and Lexa doesn't waste time as she jumps up from the floor and before Ontari has the chance to move she punches her in the face. The attorney stumbles backward and adjusts her body into a defensive stance as they circle each other.

_“Give up Ontari, backup is on its way, you won't be able to run.”_

Lexa says as Ontari looks at her with disgust and swinging at Lexa's face with her fists once more. They throw punches at each other, gasping for air and groaning in pain. Just like Lexa previously assessed Ontari is strong and knows how to defend and attack, but her thumb is probably broken and with each passing minute she's getting weaker and unfocused.

Ontari tries to attack Lexa, she moves towards Lexa hitting her in her abdomen, Lexa bends down gritting her teeth and Ontari shows no mercy, she rounds the detective slightly to the side and connects her elbow with Lexa's back. The brunette groans in pain as her knees hit the ground but she can’t stay in that compromising position and stands up wincing slightly. Ontari knowing that one of her hands is weak tries another approach.

The woman stands behind Lexa and places one arm around Lexa's neck. The detective closes her eyes as her breathing becomes heavy and erratic, she can feel that her lungs are not getting enough air due to Ontari’s strong hold. Lexa shuffles her feet on the ground trying to get her bearings and when she knows where Ontari’s feet are, she steps hard on one of Ontari’s feet, and feels her hold loosening a little and then Lexa jerks her head back hitting Ontari hard on the chin. Ontari stumbles backwards as Lexa turns around inhaling hard as she tries to get some air.

_“You're a pain in the ass.”_

Ontari says as cars start to approach them, Lexa has her back to them but the flashing red and blue lights makes Lexa sigh in relief at the arrival of backup, taking advantage of the fact that Ontari is momentarily blinded by the lights the detective puts an end to the fight.

_“So are you.”_

Lexa says as she swings her fist in the air with such force that it knocks Ontari out once Lexa’s fist hits her and she falls to the floor unconscious and Lexa turns her body around to put her in handcuffs.

Lexa’s whole body is sore and her lungs are burning as if on fire, but when two officers show up she tells them to take care of Ontari. As Lexa starts to walk in the direction of the hangar she notices Indra’s car parking and the woman doesn't waste much time as she climbs out of the vehicle and starts to bark orders.

A few ambulances park too and Lexa watches horrified the commotion around her, Nia’s men are attended for their wounds, two were shot, and soon after she sees a couple of paramedics pulling a man out on a gurney with a bleeding chest.

_“Roan!”_

Lexa shouts as she runs over to the man and the paramedics don't stop for her, they pull Roan towards one of the ambulances and Lexa is at the back of the ambulance in seconds.

_“I'm going with you.”_

She says leaving no margin for debate but still the male paramedic shakes his head, and Lexa is about to shout at him when a blonde woman turns from the inside of the ambulance to face her.

_“If you're coming, get in, we don't have any time to lose.”_

_“Brett? I thought… I thought you weren't working in the field yet.”_

_“Extreme conditions call for extreme measures, now get in I'm driving.”_

The blonde paramedic says switching places with Lexa inside the ambulance and runs to the driver’s seat.

_“Roan, hey, you're okay buddy. Everything will be okay.”_

_“You want to help your friend?”_

The male paramedic asks and Lexa looks down at Roan’s chest, he is losing too much blood, she gulps down and nods as the ambulance starts rolling and the man nods.

_“Hold this, see? Like that, put pressure on his wound.”_

The man says and Lexa does as she was told and the man starts working on Roan’s body and attaching him to the ambulance’s equipment.

_“Ont… Ontari?”_

_“Don't speak okay? Just rest, she's taking a nap, she won't be going anywhere now.”_

The man sighs as he looks at Lexa and tears start forming in the corners of his eyes.

_“I'm… I'm sorry Heda; I shouldn't have followed that motel lead on my own… This... I'm tired… I… I think I will sleep for a bit.”_

_“Keep him talking, detective.”_

The paramedic says as he watches Roan’s heartbeat on a monitor.

_“Hey, hey, you can't sleep now. I have things to tell you.”_

_“I'm so tired Lexa.”_

The man says and Lexa chuckles slightly as she grabs one of his hands and squeezes it.

_“Yeah, me too, me too. But you have to know that calling my girlfriend was what brought us here. That was a smart move, King Roan.”_

Lexa says as Roan looks at her, his face is pale and his hand is cold.

_“Girlfriend?”_

_“Yeah, haven't you heard? Clarke and I are dating.”_

Lexa says just to keep Roan responsive and awake, the paramedic smiles at her and Lexa continues as she looks at Roan.

_“She's the one Roan; I know she's the one.”_

_“I know, you'll be in good hands with her, she can handle you and she won't take your shit.”_

The man says gruffly chuckling slightly, and wincing a little as the paramedic places one hand on Roan’s large shoulder as if to tell him to stay still.

_“Tell Clarke that if she messes with you I will come from the grave to haunt her.”_

Roan says jokingly as he closes his eyes and Lexa squeezes his hand harder.

_“No, you won't. No one is going to die today, you hear me? Besides, I need you and Luna to look after the Kru, I am going to give Titus one of my kidneys and I reckon that I will need some time away from work after that.”_

Lexa says and Roan looks at her struggling to keep his eyes open but then his eyes roll to the back of his head at the same time the ambulance stops and the back doors open.

_“Male victim of a shot wound, he is crashing.”_

As soon as the paramedic shouts nurses and doctors are in the ambulance pulling the gurney out. Lexa watches as a doctor starts compressions on Roan’s chest as more blood spills out from his wound.

_“Take him to the OR now!”_

A woman says and Lexa looks around to see the doctor barking orders, the detective looks at the doctor jumping onto Roan’s gurney, she faintly remembers having seen him before but before she can dwell on it a gentle hand is on her shoulder steadying her.

_“Lexa, are you okay?”_

Lexa looks up to see Abby looking worriedly at her and her blood-stained clothes she nods as Abby places her hands on her shoulders and takes in her bruised face.

_“I'm fine, Roan… He… he was shot, in the chest, he is losing too much blood.”_

_“Marcus will take care of him, let's check on you too.”_

**

Clarke is watching Raven’s laptop with a quizzical and concerned expression, it’s killing her not knowing what’s happening, the only update she had was Anya’s phone call to tell them that they had everything under control and were requesting backup to follow the protocol. But that was almost an hour ago and now the blonde reporter is panicking at the lack of news and the worst part is that she can’t do anything about it even though Monty and Raven are still working. The Latina is trying to gather more information on Ontari and Clarke doesn't understand why considering that the Kru is out there trying to stop her.

_“Ray, what are you doing?”_

The blonde reporter asks and Raven looks at her, and her hands stop above the keyboard. The Latina can read Clarke’s worry and sighs.

_“I'm trying to find when and where Ontari’s path crossed with Nia’s!”_

_“And that's important because…”_

The blonde woman says in frustration and Monty looks at her slightly perplexed.

_“Because when she faces trial the Prosecution needs to have a full case to bring her down. You know this Clarke.”_

The Asian consultant says and Clarke sighs.

_“This is taking too long, Raven, can you pull up some satellite images of the place so we can know what's going on?”_

Clarke asks, resuming her pacing and Raven looks at her strangely with a snort.

_“Clarke, honey, I know you are worried, we are too but this is not a spy movie… I can't just…”_

Raven’s words are cut off by her phone ringing and the Latina picks it up immediately to see Indra’s name blinking on it.

_“Yes, Chief?”_

Raven says as soon as she accepts the call and immediately stands up as she looks around with a scared expression.

_“And Luna?”_

Raven asks not masking the worry in her voice and then sighs, Clarke watches her as a wave of relief washes over her friend.

_“Copy that Chief. We're on our way.”_

_“What's going on?”_

Clarke asks as she takes a few steps towards Raven and the Latina grabs her wallet and the keys of her car.

_“Roan was shot. He's on his way to the hospital now.”_

As soon as Raven’s words are out Clarke stumbles backwards as a feeling of dread embraces her whole body.

_“And… and Lexa?”_

The blonde asks with tears forming in her eyes as Raven limps towards her and places one hand around Clarke's elbow to steady her.

_“She's fine. As far as Indra told me only Roan was shot. But… but he's in bad shape.”_

Clarke takes in her friend's words and sighs in relief but it is only a strange half feeling because Roan is also her friend and she is worried about him too. Monty looks at them and forgets his work as he gets up from his chair grabbing his blazer.

_“I’m going with you.”_

**

The ride towards the hospital is silent but Raven drives as fast as she can, the late hour allows her to have the road almost to herself, and Clarke can't help but be thankful for her friend’s driving skills. In less than half an hour they reach their destination and Monty, Clarke, and Raven stride through the emergency doors and look around, it doesn't take them long to see several officers in blue and they walk up to them.

Clarke's eyes roam over the place and she finds Lexa sitting with Anya and Luna by her side. She's injured, there are bloodstains on her clothes and her button-up shirt is ripped in some places. Clarke all but runs towards her girlfriend and kneels in front of her, and Anya and Luna stand up to give them some privacy. Luna sees Raven and her heart hammers in her chest as Raven comes to her and hugs her.

_“Lex, babe, are you okay?”_

Clarke asks as she takes in the amount of blood on Lexa’s clothes and the detective allows the blonde to sit next to her and pull her in for a hug.

_“I’m fine, it’s… It’s mostly Roan’s.”_

Lexa says omitting that some of the blood is hers too, the heels of Ontari shoes did a number on her but she sighs as Clarke cradles her face and takes in the several cuts and bruises on the woman’s face.

_“How is he?”_

The blonde reporter asks and Lexa shivers at the thought of her friend covered in blood as his heart started to crash.

_“He… He is still in surgery.”_

The detective replies in a small voice and Clarke swallows the lump in her throat, there’s too much blood on Lexa’s clothes and even though Clarke has no idea of the extent of the damage Roan suffered, judging by the amount of blood it is serious.

**

Gaia arrives not long after Clarke, Sergeant Plat had called her when Indra left the station and the attorney lawyer felt a wave of worry creeping over her, her mother is not usually in the field anymore and despite their strained relationship, the woman won’t deny that she feels some sort of comfort at knowing that most of her time Indra is safely at the station. But Sergeant Plat seemed concerned when she called a second time and Gaia soon found herself feeling the same as she was informed of the news, it seemed that not only was her mother in the pursuit of Ontari but Anya was as well and even though Gaia isn’t sure of where she stands with the FBI agent she can’t deny the wave of dread that crashed upon her at knowing that the two of them were on their way to the hospital.

Once inside the hospital it doesn’t take Gaia long to see everyone in the waiting room and judging by the number of people in there she can assume that whatever happened was big. Gaia walks further forward and easily spots her mother in her uniform, it’s completely unusual to see Indra looking so tired and concerned and Gaia’s heart clenches at the sight of her mother, Sergeant Plat had only told her that Indra and Anya were on their way to the hospital.

Seeing her mother acting in such a vulnerable way leaves Gaia baffled and for a moment she wonders if the reason why everyone is at the hospital is because Lexa is the one who is injured, she knows the deep affection the woman has for the detective. Before she can think much of it Indra looks at her and Gaia is walking in her mother’s direction to pull her into a warm hug that Indra returns with a relieved sigh.

_“Gaia, you didn’t have to come, but I’m glad you’re here.”_

Indra says and Gaia looks at her as if to make sure her mother is fine.

_“I was worried; Sergeant Plat called me but didn’t know much only that you were at the hospital. What happened?”_

_“We caught Ontari.”_

Indra says looking intently at Gaia as the young woman looks at her with surprise on her face. She looks around and sees Lexa a few feet away sitting on a plastic chair with Clarke next to her, the blood on the detective’s clothes is enough to make Gaia gasp in horror as she looks at her mother with a question in her eyes.

_“Roan and Nia were shot. Nia… she didn’t resist and Roan is in surgery now.”_

Indra says, easily guessing the question her daughter was about to ask and Gaia closes her eyes.

_“Did anyone else get hurt?”_

The attorney asks as Anya walks up to them with a tired and worried expression, Gaia was so caught up in her mother’s words that she didn’t even notice the FBI agent walking in her direction.

_“Just a few of Nia’s men.”_

Anya says, having heard Gaia’s question and the attorney looks at her, Gaia looks Anya up and down, much like she did with her mother moments before to make sure she’s fine and sighs. Anya’s clothes are mud-stained but apart from that, she seems to be fine.

_“If you will excuse me, I have to brief Sergeant Plat.”_

Indra says when she notices the lingering looks between her daughter and Anya and walks away; as she retrieves her phone from her pocket she can’t help but look at Gaia as the woman takes a step closer to Anya.

_“What happened? Are you sure you don’t have to be checked over?”_

Gaia asks as she moves her hand to hold Anya’s but then stops unsure if Anya will appreciate the uninvited touch. Anya smiles and seems to read Gaia’s intentions because she takes hold of the woman’s hand and pulls her towards the chairs.

_“I’m fine, I mean, physically I’m not injured, but Roan, he was in bad shape.”_

Anya says as she sits down and Gaia squeezes the agent’s hand with her own.

_“Roan is a fighter, he will get through this.”_

Gaia says and Anya sighs with a nod, for everyone’s sake she hopes that’s true, they have been through this before when Lexa was shot and she knows exactly how difficult it is to even find the right words in such a moment. The fact that Gaia is trying to keep their hopes up assuages Anya’s heart a little, a warm feeling blossoms in her chest at the care Gaia is displaying towards her and her friends and she can’t help but squeeze Gaia’s hand in hers and lace their fingers.

**

The late-night turns to dawn and the musky colors of the bluish pink sky casts an orange and glowing light in the waiting room. By now Lincoln and Octavia are at the hospital too, and looking around one could assume that the 13th station is taking over the hospital, the whole Kru is there with their consultants Monty and Raven, Jackson came to check on Miller as soon as Lincoln called him and there are several officers in blue scattered around the place too.

Abby managed to get Lexa a change of clothes and Clarke coaxed her into taking a quick shower before changing. There’s a heavy feeling looming over everyone’s heads and Lexa’s is the double size of everyone else’s after checking on Titus and noticing how yellow his skin looked.

Echo and Bellamy are surviving their night with coffee and Luna miraculously fell asleep on Raven’s shoulder while the Latina rubbed circles on her back. Gaia has been watching Anya closely like a hawk and Jackson hasn’t left Miller's side once. Lincoln is trying to get more information as Octavia and Harper make sure Monty eats something. As for Clarke and Lexa, the blonde has been trying to make Lexa eat something too and dragged her to the cafeteria to force her to eat half of a sandwich down, the blonde was glad for her connections at the hospital because she could only assume that Lexa hasn’t eaten in hours. Clarke couldn’t help but remember the time she used those same connections when Gustus was the one in a hospital bed.

The sounds of footsteps echoing through the rather quiet hospital at such an early hour reach Lexa’s ears and the detective lifts her head to see Lincoln, Abby and Marcus walking into the waiting room and the doctors can’t help but gasp at the large number of people waiting for news on Roan’s condition. As the officers in blue start to gather around, almost circling the two doctors, Indra barks some orders to let them speak and give them space and everyone obeys her as the people who were sitting in the chairs stand to hear the news as well.

_“Let me start by saying that the surgery took longer than we anticipated, Roan’s heart crashed several times during the procedure and we had to perform open chest compressions to keep his heart beating.”_

Marcus says taking a deep breath and looking around at the worried faces, the man is not sure if anyone can understand how miraculous it is that Roan survived his wounds while he held the man’s heart in his hands.

_“We brought him back, Roan’s condition is still critical, but despite his major loss of blood and his heart almost giving up on us he is as stable as he can be for now. I am aware that all of you in this waiting room will want to be here for when he wakes up but at this moment we don't know how or when that will be. The next few days are going to be crucial for his recovery. But as his doctor, I'm telling you that there's nothing you can do now to help him. All we can do is to give him time to let his body rest from the trauma and to decide when it's time to wake up.”_

Kane says and Lexa looks from him to Abby, an utter feeling of confusion and concern etched on her face.

_“Roan is alive?”_

The broody detective asks in awe and in disbelief in a small voice that's almost a whisper, she saw how much blood the man lost and she is still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Abby catches her question and walks in her direction placing one hand on her shoulder and smiling softly at Lexa.

_“Roan is alive, he is a fighter.”_

The older Griffin says and Lexa surprises everyone when she looks up at the woman and hugs her tightly. Abby is taken aback by the sudden caring gesture but she hugs Lexa in return.

_“Thank you, Abby. Thank you.”_

The detective says with tears in her eyes and Clarke looks at her with a fond expression. Abby smiles and steps back slightly to look at Lexa with a gentle expression.

_“Kane did all the work; I was just in the OR to assist him.”_

The woman says and Lexa nods looking at Marcus Kane taking a step in his direction and outstretching one hand for the man to take. They shake hands and Lexa clears her throat looking at the bearded man.

_“Thank you, Doctor Kane.”_

Lexa says as the man nods squeezing her hand slightly and looking at her with a gentle expression.

_“I was just doing my job. And I might be old but not enough to forget that we've met before and that you agreed to call me by my name.”_

The man replies easily and Lexa smiles, the night where she met the man when she took Clarke to the art exhibition seems so far away now that it almost feels like it was another life.

Every police officer and member of the Kru thanks both of the doctors before they leave the waiting room. A relieved Indra tells everyone to go home and rest, they all have a lot of paperwork to do, and the reports they have to present Indra and the FBI will have to be as detailed as possible, but a few hours of sleep will do everyone some good.

**

It’s a while later when Lexa is gathering her things with Clarke by her side; the detective is telling Clarke that she will throw her dirty clothes away seeing that they are completely ruined. Most of the people have already left the hospital, Indra and all the officers in blue were the first ones to leave, Indra asking to be informed of any updates on Roan while she went to the station to oversee everything with Plat, the events of the night soon will be of public knowledge and the Chief has undoubtedly a lot of work to do.

Gaia had all but dragged Anya with her, Miller, Echo, and Bellamy had decided to return the Kru cars to the station before going home. And Jackson and offered Lincoln a ride to work. Monty and Harper had lingered to make sure everyone was indeed going home but then left too.

Octavia had stayed behind with Luna and Raven, the couple wanted to make sure that Lexa and Clarke were going home too and when Octavia told them that she would make sure that they would go home, they left too. Lexa spots the younger Blake with a frown walking towards them.

_“What is it O?”_

Clarke asks when the younger woman approaches her.

_“Jaha just called me. He knows something happened and he wants us to cover the story.”_

Octavia says as she looks apologetically at Lexa and the detective sighs and looks at Clarke. The two reporters are completely annoyed at the lack of tact of their Chief Editor even though the man doesn't know the full story.

_“I'll tell Jaha he can go and float himself.”_

Clarke says between gritted teeth and Lexa sighs as she holds Clarke's hand in her own.

_“You should do it, write the article I mean.”_

_“Are you sure?”_

Clarke asks uncertain and Lexa smiles, it's a small sad curl of her lips but she nods not letting go of Clarke's hand.

_“Honestly I rather have you two write a piece together than anyone else and Harper was here she’s a reporter too she will surely write about it too.”_

_“Lexa is right, I mean we're in the best place to do it, and if I got it right from Jaha, he wants a front-page article by the end of the week. It will give us time to think about it carefully.”_

Octavia says and Clarke looks from her to Lexa, thinking about work is the last thing she wants to do at the moment but having Lexa's support is comforting and she nods with a sigh.

_“Come on, I'll give you two a ride home, and then we will figure out what we can do.”_

The younger Blake says and Lexa nods thankfully since she came in the ambulance and Clarke came with Raven there are no other cars they can use, plus the rest of Lexa’s team has made sure that everything was taken care of. Octavia quickly texts Raven to let her know that they are leaving the hospital.

**

Raven quietly opens the door to Luna’s apartment and despite everything that has happened there’s a calm feeling that washes over her while doing so. This is her home now, and coming home it's now more than ever something that warms her heart. It was already sunny by the time everyone decided to leave the hospital and although Luna managed to nap for a couple of minutes she still feels exhausted.

They don't speak as Raven leads Luna towards the bathroom and tells her to take a shower. Before she has the chance to leave Luna alone, the curly-haired detective is grabbing the Latina’s wrist gently and Raven understands the silent request. In silence, they strip out of their clothes, and Luna steps in the shower turning the water on.

Despite everything that happened Raven is still surprised by the gentle way in which Luna moves around her, Luna sighs when Raven gently rinses her hair, the intimacy of the moment washing away the dread of a scary and painful night.

Once they are out of the shower they move into the bedroom and dress and all the while Raven keeps a watchful gaze on Luna when the curly-haired woman is finally dressed and with her hair in a lazy bun Raven walks towards her and holds her hands.

_“Do you want me to make you something to eat?”_

Raven asks as Luna looks up at her with a soft nod.

_“Yeah, that will be nice.”_

The woman replies gently and Raven smiles at her with a nod.

_“Stay here, get in bed. I will get something for us.”_

Luna watches as Raven adjusts the brace on her leg and walks out of the room. When Raven returns fifteen minutes later Luna is sitting on the bed with her phone in her hands.

_“Clarke texted me.”_

_“Is everything okay?”_

Raven asks as she places the tray on the bed and Luna grabs a cup of tea from it as Raven sits beside her and looks at her carefully.

_“Yeah, she just wanted to tell that Lexa is resting and that she will have to write about what happened.”_

Raven groans as she picks a small plate with a toast and hands it out for Luna to take, the detective smiles and takes a small bite from it.

_“I'm sure Jaha will want them to be all over on this one.”_

Raven says as she takes a plate for herself, she only made French toasts and tea, just something light so Luna can have some food in her stomach before sleeping. Luna takes another bite as she looks at Raven and sighs.

_“I think I would rather have them working on this than some other newspaper and reporters, this… It was a hard night and I trust them to do a good job.”_

_“You're worried about the repercussions this might have on Roan.”_

Raven says and Luna nods, Roan it's fighting for his life but if or when he wakes up he will be forced to face the loss of his mother, and although their relationship was never the best one, Nia was still the last of the blood family he had, having lost his father when he was just a kid. If the IA suspect of his involvement they will have a field day trying to poke in his life and the Kru’s too.

_“Hey, let's not focus on that right now. You should get some sleep.”_

Raven says as they finish their meal and she makes a movement to leave the bed and Luna holds her hand softly.

_“Will you stay?”_

The detective asks and Raven smiles as she picks the tray and places it on the floor making a mental note to not trip over it later.

_“Of course. Always.”_

The Latina replies with a tender smile and they lay together as Luna lets Raven cuddle her.

**Two weeks later**

Clarke knocks on the door and pokes her head inside to see a newspaper covering the patient’s face, it seems that she remains unheard and she knocks on the door again, and slowly the Arkadia paper is lowered down as a gentle face appears from behind it.

_“Clarke, come in.”_

Roan says gently, his voice sounds raspier than usual due to the lack of use. The detective smiles as Clarke walks in and he folds the newspaper neatly on his lap and taps one finger on Ontari’s picture on the front page.

_“Look at us! The first time we met you were writing about a case I was working on and I all but dragged you to the station at Lexa's request, and now here you are walking in to see me and writing a detailed article that I can assume has Lexa's blessing.”_

Roan says jokingly and doing air-quotes at the final part of his sentence and Clarke chuckles with a nod.

_“She's not entirely displeased with it.”_

Clarke says joining Roan in his banter and the man nods as Clarke sits in the bed and looks carefully at him. Roan’s eyes are sparkling a little more than before, but his face is still a bit pale and bruised.

_“How are you feeling?”_

_“I suppose I am good for a guy who had his chest open and had his heart crashing in some doctor's hands.”_

_“Kane told you?”_

Clarke asks softly and Roan gives her a sad smile.

_“I demanded to know, when I woke up everyone was tip-toeing around me, it was infuriating, I could see the pitying looks but it was also suffocating, everyone was always checking on me as if afraid I was going to pass out for good.”_

_“You went through a lot, the doctors only wanted to make sure you were stable.”_

Clarke says gently, aware of how everyone was watching over the man like he was a fragile artifact, and Roan nods as he looks at her.

_“I know, but I think… I think this helped me realize why Lexa went away after…”_

Roan trails off with a pained expression and Clarke nods, she doesn't need to hear the rest to know what Roan is trying to say. She moves slightly on the bed, sitting up higher and grabbing one of Roan’s hands in her own.

_“For what it’s worth I'm really happy to see you recovering with each passing day.”_

Clarke says and it's genuine, although Roan has been improving since he woke up more than 24 hours after his surgery, she knows he still has a long way to go. Not just physically but also emotionally, Roan saw his mother getting shot and almost die in front of him, and although the woman survived a few more hours she died on her way to the hospital. In Roan’s honor, all his friends attended Nia’s funeral but the truth is that Roan hasn't had the chance to mourn his mother's death, and no matter how strained their relationship was she was still his mother.

_“I haven't thanked you yet for helping me. When I managed to get my hands on a phone I… I panicked… and your number was the first I could remember if you hadn't picked it up…”_

_“Hey, let's not talk about it okay?”_

Clarke asks pleadingly not only for Roan’s sake but her own too, she doesn't want to dwell on what could've or couldn't have happened. Roan seems to understand and nods as he looks down at the newspaper. From what he gathered since that night in the hangar the Police Department along with the FBI managed to make several arrests of people linked to both Nia and Ontari. The Prosecution Department is building up a strong case against the former star of the department and Russell is personally overseeing the case with Gaia but there are still some parts he doesn't know fully yet and that Clarke's article only mentioned briefly.

_“Clarke, I assume you know more than what you wrote, do you know how deep Ontari’s relationship was with my mom? She kept calling her mother.”_

Clarke is silent for a moment and then stands from the bed and grabs a chair to sit down on it more comfortably.

_“Nia used a foster care institution to…”_

_“Money launder.”_

Roan says plainly when Clarke stops mid-sentence as if she was trying to find the best words to say it and at the man's ones she nods and clears her throat slightly.

_“Ontari was one of the kids there, she lost her parents in a car crash at six and when Nia met her she took a liking to her, Nia told Luna that she saw a little of herself in Ontari.”_

Clarke explains softly and Roan hums in agreement, it's not news to him that Nia also had a difficult childhood having lost her parents when she was just a kid too.

_“Despite the covered use of the institution, Nia made sure every kid had a fair education and a place they could call home, Ontari was her favorite though and Nia ensured that she had the best she could offer, Ontari had always been an intelligent child with perfect grades and when she had to go to college she picked law school, she had a few nice offers to scholarships and even so Nia made sure that Ontari had her own apartment outside the campus and a car as long as she kept up with her good work, which she did, Ontari did everything she could to earn Nia’s affection and admiration, she outdid herself in every challenge, all to be the person Nia shaped her to be.”_

_“I don't understand; I never heard my mother talking about her if she loved Ontari like that, why didn't she adopt her as a normal person would do?”_

Roan asks and Clarke looks at him with uncertainty in her eyes and a sad smile, the only person who could answer Roan’s question is no longer alive to do so.

_“I guess we will never know for sure, maybe she didn't want to have Ontari’s name linked to her as to not raise suspicions or maybe she still hoped you would follow her steps and take her place.”_

_“This… Did Luna get all of that from my mother?”_

Roan asks confused as he leans his head back in the pillow and closes his eyes, Nia was still alive on her way to the hospital, he knows this, but still, that is a lot of information to share when one’s body is shutting down. Clarke shakes her head slightly and looks at his tired eyes.

_“It was Ontari, when Anya and Lexa were interrogating her they saw that even though Ontari is cold and pragmatic, she's not flawless, she had already made a mistake when she gave Dax the gun Gabriel used to shoot the Mayor, which showed them that she makes mistakes too. Ontari is vain and arrogant, for what I understand Anya and Lexa took on to that side of her, making Ontari proudly brag about how Nia always took care of her. After that it was a matter of following the trails, Teb had a handful of knowledge about them too, so Raven and Monty were able to get the files on her that they needed to verify the veracity of Ontari’s claims.”_

Clarke explains calmly and Roan nods as he looks at her, his eyes drooping slightly and Clarke stands from the chair and helps Roan so he can lay back in the bed.

_“You should rest now.”_

The blonde reporter says gently and Roan nods as he opens his eyes slightly and frowns a little.

_“Where's Lexa?”_

The detective asks and Clarke smiles even though Roan’s is still recovering and that sometimes he still wakes up groggy and confused he always asks for his friend when Lexa doesn’t show up, after all he is aware of Lexa’s plans about Titus and his surgery.

_“She will be here later, she's with my mom and Titus.”_

Clarke says as she thinks back to the conversation she had with Lexa five days ago and how sure Lexa was about her decision.

_**Five days ago**_

_Lexa watches from the other side of the interrogation room as Ontari is escorted in by two officers in blue and then chained to the table and floor. Due to the nature of Ontari’s crimes she was immediately processed and sent over to a detention facility after being attended to her injuries. The Kru is there for questioning and although they have a solid case they still want to talk to her. Echo whistles lowly as Ontari looks directly at the glass mirror familiar with the concept of the interrogation’s room architecture._

_“Fuck Lexa, you really did a number on her.”_

_Echo says as she takes in the bruises covering the woman’s face and the cast on her arm, the result of her broken thumb. Miller looks from Ontari to Lexa with a nod as he waits for his partners to decide who is going in, Aden and Anya are there too and the FBI agent looks at Lexa with a curious expression._

_“So I’m guessing you want to go in?”_

_Anya says as Echo looks at Lexa and the brunette detective nods as she casts another look at Ontari’s defiant posture._

_“Damn right I want.”_

_“You two should team up on this one.”_

_Echo says as she looks from Lexa to Anya and the later raises one eyebrow quizzically at her._

_“What? You want to sit this one out?”_

_“I think that for once I want to enjoy the show.”_

_Echo replies easily and Lexa straightens her back as she nods and looks at Anya._

_“Let’s go then.”_

_They walk out of the observation room and Lexa opens the door for the interrogation room letting Anya enter first._

_“Ontari how lovely it is to see you, orange suits you.”_

_Anya says as she walks further forward and the attorney lawyer looks at her with an impassive gaze, if the jab about her orange jumpsuit hit her she doesn’t show, and she eyes Anya carefully._

_“Who the hell are you?”_

_“I’m special agent Anya Wild, I’m sure you don’t need me to introduce Lexa right?”_

_Anya says sarcastically and Ontari’s eyes flash with anger but she remains silent. Lexa smirks at her slightly as she pulls out a chair and sits down on it and Ontari rolls her eyes and looks at Lexa._

_“I’m not talking to any of you, not without my lawyer.”_

_“Too bad that your lawyer is in jail too.”_

_Lexa says and Ontari smirks slightly with a shake of her head._

_“Teb is not my lawyer.”_

_“And yet you have no else here so why don’t you just tell us what we want to hear.”_

_Anya says and Ontari lets out a hollow laugh as she looks at Lexa and Anya with disdain._

_“I’m not telling you anything.”_

_“It’s not like we need it anyway, I mean if I have to be honest I’m a little disappointed in you Ontari, giving a gun from one of your old cases to Dax it wasn’t your smartest move.”_

_Lexa says and Ontari shrugs slightly but Lexa can see she’s already calculating what to say, Lexa knows she doesn’t need to make Ontari talk but something about the possibility of cracking the woman in front of her to confess everything is as really satisfying._

_“We have the footage; it’s your face on those images although your attire was far more elegant.”_

_“I was just following orders.”_

_Ontari says and Lexa looks at Anya who smirks slightly, they know they have to push the right buttons to make Ontari talk._

_“Funny, I didn’t see anyone else on those images.”_

_Anya says and Ontari looks at her with a careful expression but then shrugs slightly as if she has come up with a plan._

_“I was being threatened by Nia, it was all her.”_

_“Hmm, plausible, if it wasn’t for the fact that you killed Nia.”_

_Anya indulges her for a moment and Lexa nods as she looks at Ontari._

_“I had to, it was self-defense.”_

_It’s a desperate excuse and completely out of character, but Lexa has the feeling that Ontari is just stalling and so she pushes a little bit forward. They stay in silence for some minutes and Ontari watches as Anya gets up from the chair and takes a few steps towards the wall leaning on it and crossing her arms._

_“You were being threatened by Nia… What do you make of this, Lexa?”_

_They share a look and Ontari for the first time feels out of place, the chemistry she can see between Anya and Lexa is undeniable and the attorney lawyer thinks for a second that maybe they are up to something. Lexa clears her throat slightly and looks at Ontari tilting her head a little._

_“I don’t know, I would say that our friend Ontari here was more of a pawn.”_

_“I’m no one’s pawn.”_

_Ontari hisses trying to move from her sitting position, if she could she would hit Lexa in the face adding one more bruise to her still marked face but as it is she can only half stand before the force of the movement jerks her back and a sharp pain shoots through her broken thumb. Lexa looks at Anya proud that they have struck a chord, Ontari’s pride._

_“Are you sure? Because last time I checked you were the one dealing with Dax, it’s kind of a middle-man type of task if you ask me.”_

_Lexa says and Ontari grits her teeth._

_“Nia loved me like a daughter, she shaped me since I was a little kid, I made her proud and she trusted me.”_

_Ontari says and then looks at Lexa with wide eyes as she realizes that she had fallen for the detective’s trick like a fool. There’s no turning back now and surely Ontari’s reluctance in talking made the whole interrogation last longer than both Anya and Lexa anticipated and by the time they are up and ready to leave the room they have all the information that they need to put together Ontari’s role in Nia's life and schemes. Anya stops at the door smirking slightly at Lexa before looking back at Ontari._

_“You know what’s pretty ironic here, Ontari? It is that all your life you tried to prove yourself to get Nia’s approval and love and yet in the end Roan was always her favorite. And in case you’re wondering he is alive.”_

_Anya throws her words out and Ontari clenches her jaw as she looks at her and Lexa and smirks too._

_“I wonder if the Mayor will have the same luck too, last I knew he was in bad shape.”_

_Ontari taunts them with her words and Lexa clenches her jaw but remains silent, she is not sure why Ontari is bringing up the Mayor, but she assumes it’s just to make them feel haunted by her actions. Unknowingly Ontari’s words just served to cement Lexa’s decision of giving Titus one of her kidneys. And all she has to do know it’s tell her team all about it and plan the surgery with Abby and Titus._

**Two months later**

_“Hey you think they are going to like it?_

Raven asks as she looks around and then looks at her girlfriend; Luna sets a couple of drinks on the table and looks around as Lincoln and Octavia join them with some snacks.

_“I think they are going to be blown away by the changes here.”_

Luna says and Lincoln nods as he places the snacks on the table and looks around too at the bright space.

_“I agree, what we did here it’s pretty cool.”_

_“Where is everyone else?”_

Octavia asks as she finishes arranging the table and Raven shrugs slightly.

_“Chief Indra said she will be here in a few minutes, Echo texted me to let me know she would be picking Bellamy up after his shift. The others should be arriving soon too.”_

The curly-haired detective says as Octavia nods and looks at Raven with a puzzled expression.

_“Wait! What about Roan?”_

_“We’re going to pick him up; I’m just waiting for Clarke to text me so we can get them here both at the same time.”_

Raven says and Octavia nods as the door opens and Jackson walks in with Miller holding hands, Raven smiles at them and soon after Monroe is also walking in and opening the door for Fox. Raven grins at them as she walks towards them with a smirk.

_“You both came together!”_

The Latina says smugly and Fox rolls her eyes with a shrug and looks at Raven, her expression unimpressed.

_“Well since my car broke and someone stood me up at the last minute, thanks for that by the way, I had to find a way to get here. On second thoughts maybe it was for the best I don’t know how many more times I can hear Dolly Parton and Raven Reyes singing Jolene.”_

Fox says as Monroe chuckles and Raven places one hand over her chest in mock hurt.

_“Wow, you wound me Fox, first of all, I am a great singer and second Dolly Parton is the queen of country and Jolene is a classic, you’re obtuse if you don’t see that.”_

Raven says as Monroe keeps laughing and Luna approaches them with a smile at the seemingly never-ending banter between the two women.

_“Hey, Clarke texted me we have to go.”_

_“Cool, guys hold the fort we’re not going to take long.”_

Raven says as she grabs Luna’s hand and they walk out of the space with a smile on their lips, they can’t wait to show their surprise to Roan. On their way out they see Monty and Harper arriving as the blonde shows off her engagement ring; it’s day for surprises indeed.

**

The sun is blinding and hot on Lexa's skin while she waits with a frown for her girlfriend to come down. It's Saturday morning and two months since Roan was shot, and Lexa had the surgery to remove her kidney, they are both recovering well. Clarke and Octavia had gone back to their apartments and Clarke despite moving out from Lexa’s place while the detective was in the hospital was always by her side.

Both Roan’s and Lexa’s recoveries have been going well, Titus is recovering too and the transplant was a success, the first few days were critical waiting to see if his body would reject the new organ but thankfully all it’s going well. The Kru has been coping fine with Lexa’s and Roan’s absence and Lexa and Clarke have been growing stronger together with each passing day. Clarke is seeing Becca too and she even managed to convince Roan to see her sometimes. The fact that Clarke is back at her apartment gave Lexa and the blonde a sense of normalcy in their dating life despite Lexa’s recovery.

Now Lexa is waiting for Clarke who had said that she had a surprise for her. The detective sighs as her curiosity grows and frowns slightly when Clarke walks out of the building with two helmets under her arms. Lexa pushes herself from the leaning position against her car as Clarke walks up to her with a smile.

_“Hi!”_

The blonde says with a grin as she reads Lexa's confusion and Lexa sighs when the reporter kisses on the cheek.

_“What's that for?”_

Lexa asks as she points to the helmet and Clarke beams at her, offering one for Lexa to take and starts walking in the direction of a parked Vespa a few spots behind Lexa's car.

_“I know this is not as badass as Luna’s motorcycle but this has been in my family for three generations, my dad loved it and I get the love for classic models from him.”_

The blonde explains as Lexa admires the blue vehicle, she then looks at Clarke with a gentle smile.

_“It's beautiful Clarke.”_

_“I… I haven't ridden it in a while; I checked with my mom to make sure it's safe for you to ride it too. And… Well, I know Kenzi for a long while; I figured that it was time to share a small passion of mine with you… It's not fast but it's quite cool. And it will take us to our next destination.”_

The blonde says as she climbs onto the Vespa and looks at Lexa expectantly, the detective looks rather suspiciously at the vehicle and then at Clarke with a raised eyebrow.

_“You’re sure this is not going to fall to pieces?”_

Lexa asks and Clarke looks at her with a frown but Lexa just smiles as she climbs and settles behind the blonde.

_“I’m just joking babe. Where are you taking me?”_

_“Maybe you should walk there instead, but I can’t tell you where we are going otherwise I’ll spoil the surprise.”_

Clarke says teasingly as she adjusts her helmet and Lexa does the same, as Clarke brings the engine to life she feels Lexa’s arms around her and sighs as a smile graces her features.

As Clarke had said the Vespa wasn't fast but it was a fun ride and Lexa enjoyed it, even more, because Clarke was sharing a new side of her, something that is undoubtedly special to her. As Clarke pulls up to a stop Lexa looks around and takes in her surroundings.

_“Babe? What are we doing at the gym?”_

Lexa asks and Clarke just smiles when they climb off the Vespa as a car stops in the parking lot and Raven climbs out of Pocahontas.

_“Perfect timing princess.”_

Raven says with a smirk and Lexa looks from her to the car to see Luna helping Roan out of it.

_“What's going on?”_

Lexa asks and Raven smirks at her.

_“It's a surprise hotshot.”_

At that Lexa turns to Roan who shrugs as to say he has no idea either and Clarke grabs Lexa's hand and they walk towards the door. As soon as they walk in the gym Roan is the first to react but all he can manage to do is open his mouth in awe and look around. There's equipment that shines like brand new, the team is already there with Anya and Echo. Lexa gasps at the visible transformation of the place and looks at Clarke with surprise in her eyes.

_“Babe?”_

Lexa asks but Clarke just smiles as Chief Indra looks at them from where she's talking to Gaia, Lincoln, and Octavia. The usual stern woman smiles at them and everyone looks at them as Indra walks in Roan’s and Lexa's direction.

_“Chief? What's… What's going on?”_

Roan asks completely dumbfounded and the woman looks from him to Lexa to Roan again with a gentle smile and her eyes are kind almost if Indra is too pleased with the surprise.

_“Clarke is a very persuasive woman; she told me Roan wanted to do some renovations in this place, so together we raised some money from who wanted to help in making this gym look like a new one.”_

Indra says and Clarke smiles as she watches Lexa and Roan look around to see the big mirrors on the sides of the gym, the walls with a fresh new coat of paint, and the machines and different equipment displayed by sections of exercises. The old office that no one ever used has the door open showing a desk and a computer ready to be put to work. Raven catches Lexa's eyes looking at it and bumps her shoulder with the detective’s one.

_“People at the station are volunteering to work here; Clarke and Monroe got the computer and everything you guys need to have a functional office so you can schedule classes here. Oh, and I also made that happen!”_

Raven says with a smirk pointing towards Fox and Monroe who seem to be getting along pretty well. Clarke rolls her eyes but Lexa smiles at a proud Raven at her side. Indra shakes her head slightly and clears her throat as Roan and Lexa look at her.

_“There's more, we decided that for the station to be able to keep up the maintenance of the space we will open the gym for classes, we're working on a schedule and we are going to volunteer ourselves to take turns to be here to help whoever comes.”_

_“This obviously won't mean that you can't come and work in your early mornings as you both like, everyone agreed to keep the morning hours off-limits because we know we know you both like to have your privacy.”_

Clarke says with a smile and Indra nods. Lexa and Roan seem to still be surprised and at a loss for words, they manage to get out an emotional thanks as they are already thinking about how good it will be to have people there to train and even maybe some sparring sessions like Lexa’s and Anya’s one. There's a small table with drinks and snacks and people flock to that spot staying around it talking and joking for hours. The morning goes by smoothly as everyone enjoys the new environment of the gym and they make a small celebration in honor of Harper’s engagement with Monty.

Hours later Lexa finally has the chance to pull Clarke away from their friends and takes her to the office, closing the door and looking at Clarke tenderly.

_“I can't express how much this means babe, not just for me but for Roan and the others as well.”_

Lexa says placing her hands on the blonde's hips and Clarke places her arms around Lexa's neck.

_“You have all the time in the world to find a way to tell me how much this means to you. Coz you're stuck with me now detective Woods, and I'm not going anywhere.”_

_“I wouldn't let you go anyways.”_

Lexa says as she leans in and kisses Clarke, the blonde smiles into the kiss as she parts her lips and Lexa softly deepens the kiss. When they break the kiss to breathe Lexa leans her forehead against Clarke's and smiles.

_“I love you, Clarke Griffin.”_

_“I love you too.”_

Fin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it and stay tuned for the epilogue! :D


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